Metal AM Vol 3 No 2

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THE MAGAZINE FOR THE METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY METAL

Vol. 3 No. 2 SUMMER 2017 SUMMER 2 No. 3 Vol. AM

in this issue

ON-DEMAND MANUFACTURING AM IN THE TYRE INDUSTRY QUALITY CONTROL WITH X-RAY CT

Published by Inovar Communications Ltd www.metal-am.com Making your for Additive Manufacturing DREAMS for metal AM FLY With Praxair powders, the sky isn’t the limit Look to Praxair Surface Technologies for the metal powders, know-how, resources and supply to turn your AM dreams into reality.

• Approved aerospace grade

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© Copyright 2017 Praxair S.T. Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Publisher & Editorial Offices Inovar Communications Ltd 11 Park Plaza METAL Battlefield Enterprise Park Shrewsbury SY1 3AF, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1743 211991 Fax: +44 (0)1743 469909 ADDITIVE Email: [email protected] www.metal-am.com MANUFACTURING Managing Director, Features Editor Nick Williams Tel: +44 1743 211993 Email: [email protected]

Publishing Director, News Editor Paul Whittaker Tel: +44 1743 211992 Email: [email protected]

Assistant Editor Emily-Jo Hopson Tel: +44 (0)1743 211994 Email: [email protected] Metal AM flying high at the Production Hugo Ribeiro, Production Manager Tel: +44 (0)1743 211991 Paris Air Show Email: [email protected] Advertising A lot has happened in the rapidly evolving world of metal Additive Jon Craxford, Advertising Sales Director Manufacturing since the previous Paris Air Show two years ago, Tel: +44 207 1939 749 Fax: +44 1743 469909 with GE’s acquisition of Concept Laser and Arcam and the launch Email: [email protected] of GE Additive being notable highlights. Subscriptions Metal Additive Manufacturing is published on a It was therefore only to be expected that GE, along with a number quarterly basis as either a free digital publication of other aerospace leaders, were going to ‘pull out all the or via a paid print subscription. The annual print stops’ at this year’s air show to send the message that Additive subscription charge for four issues is £95.00 Manufacturing is a viable technology which is having a major including shipping. Rates in € and US$ are impact on the twin challenges of increasing fuel efficiency and available on application. reducing manufacturing complexity. Accuracy of contents Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the During this year’s event, GE Aviation and its joint venture accuracy of the information in this publication, companies, led by CFM International, announced more than the publisher accepts no responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences $31 billion in orders and commitments. The bulk of these orders arising there from. Inovar Communications Ltd were for the new family of LEAP aero engines, with their widely cannot be held responsible for views or claims publicised AM fuel nozzles. This brings the total orders for the expressed by contributors or advertisers, which LEAP engines to more than 14,000 to date, up from 12,500 before are not necessarily those of the publisher. the show. Advertisements Although all advertising material is expected With each engine featuring up to nineteen AM fuel nozzles, to conform to ethical standards, inclusion in production of this AM component looks increasingly likely to break this publication does not constitute a guarantee through the quarter of a million barrier. This is an outstanding or endorsement of the quality or value of achievement not only by GE, but also by the many AM production such product or of the claims made by its manufacturer. machine and metal powder vendors whose expertise brought so much to the project. Reproduction, storage and usage Single photocopies of articles may be made Clearly, for the right applications, AM must now be recognised as for personal use in accordance with national copyright laws. All rights reserved. Except as a viable process for mass production. outlined above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, modified or extracted in any form Nick Williams or by any means without prior permission of the Managing Director publisher and copyright owner. Metal Additive Manufacturing Printed by Cambrian Printers, Aberystwyth, UK ISSN 2057-3014 (print edition) ISSN 2055-7183 (digital edition) Cover image Vol. 3. No. 2 Summer 2017 Desktop Metal’s unique support This magazine is also available for free structures use ceramic powder as download from www.metal-am.com the interface with the part surfaces (Courtesy Desktop Metal) © 2017 Inovar Communications Ltd

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95 Rapid + TCT 2017: Moving towards affordability and accessibility Contents Metal AM magazine’s Emily-Jo Hopson attended this year’s Rapid + TCT event and reports on a 5 Industry News theme that is becoming ever more important to the industry as it looks towards new markets - affordability and accessibility. 69 Linear AMS: How an AM service provider is embracing the new infrastructure of 105 The inspection and quality control of on-demand manufacturing metal AM parts with X-ray CT In 2016 SAP and UPS announced a supply chain X-ray Computed Tomography (micro CT) is just management solution that spanned the complete one option for the inspection of metal AM parts. AM process chain. Linear AMS, a Moog company, However, as Andrew Ramsey and Herminso is one of several manufacturers involved in the Villarraga-Gomez explain, it is micro CT that has venture. Bruce Colter and George Small review the most potential for the inspection of complex the drivers behind the initiative along with recent internal structures and geometries. developments in materials, applications and component verification. 113 Markforged: Taking a different approach 81 Metal Additive Manufacturing gains to metal Additive Manufacturing ground in the tyre industry Ian Campbell and Terry Wohlers report on the Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) Dr Georg Schlieper reports for Metal AM magazine process from Markforged, along with the wider from the Tire Technology Expo 2017, Hannover, development of ‘indirect’ metal AM systems. Germany, on the growing use of Additive Manufacturing in the tyre industry. 117 World PM2016: The non-destructive 89 Desktop Metal: A rising star of metal evaluation of internal defects and powder AM targets speed, cost and high-volume characterisation in AM production David Whittaker reviews selected papers from the World PM2016 Congress addressing the issues Terry Wohlers reports on a recent visit to Desktop of the Non-Destructive Examination of internal Metal where, guided by founder and CEO Ric defects and the control of AM processing through Fulop, the latest developments on the company’s appropriate powder characterisation analysis. Studio and Production systems were discussed. Together, Desktop Metal believes that these systems offer a credible solution to the twin 127 Events guide challenges of accessibility to AM technology and high-volume production. 128 Advertisers’ index

MACHINE SOLUTIONS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING WITH METALS

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industry news

Safran obtains certification for a major AM auxiliary power unit part

Safran Power Units, Toulouse, It was stated that this certification France, states that it has crossed a is the result of intensive endurance new milestone in the field of Additive tests at very high temperatures on a Manufacturing by obtaining the first test bench at the Safran Power Units certification from the European site in Toulouse. An extensive material Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) testing campaign, conducted by the for a major part for an auxiliary Safran companies, also contributed The turbine nozzle for the eAPU60 power unit (APU) made by Additive to preparing the certification (Courtesy Safran Power Units – Astrid Manufacturing. This certification submission. Desclos) paves the way for its mass The results demonstrate that the production. new design of the nozzle is suitable ently, while exploiting the optimisation The certified part is the turbine for the SLM process. The metallur- potential in terms of industrial nozzle for the eAPU60 that is gical properties are also perfectly in implementation. This allows us to manufactured by Selective Laser line with the mechanical and thermal offer our customers lighter engine Melting (SLM) using Hastelloy X, a requirements for high-performance components and reduced manufac- nickel-based material. Conventionally APU components subjected to turing cycles, whether for new or machined by Inconel casting, the extreme conditions. spare parts. All of our programmes AM printed part is now 35% lighter “Safran Power Units now has will progressively adopt this new and is now comprised of only four complete mastery of the Additive manufacturing process” said François components, versus eight when Manufacturing process, which Tarel, CEO of Safran Power Units. manufactured conventionally. includes the ability to design differ- www.safran-power-units.com

system is also designed to be used GE Additive to create the world’s largest with multiple materials, including laser-powder AM machine non-reactive and reactive materials, such as aluminium and titanium. GE Additive has announced that “The machine will also be applicable “We have customers collaborating it is in the process of creating the for manufacturers in the automotive, with us and they will receive beta world’s largest laser-powder Additive power, and oil and gas industries.” versions of the machine by year’s Manufacturing machine. Tailored for The initial technology end,” Ehteshami added. “The produc- the aerospace industry, GE states that demonstrator machine, called tion version – yet to be named – will the machine will be able to print in ATLAS, is a laser/powder machine be available for purchase next year.” a build envelope of one metre cubed and will be ‘meter-class’ (1000 GE is targeting first deliveries of the (1000 mm x 1000 mm x 1000 mm). The mm) in at least two directions. The machine in late 2018. development project, announced at GE team has been developing the The technology demonstrator the Paris Air Show, will be unveiled in machine over the past two years and builds upon GE technology, combined November at the Formnext exhibition several proof-of-concept machines with Concept Laser’s expertise in in Frankfurt, Germany. have been built. laser additive machines. Concept “The machine will 3D print GE explained that in the machine’s Laser, the German-based company aviation parts that are one meter production version, the build in which GE Additive has controlling in diameter, suitable for making jet geometry will be customisable and ownership, currently has the largest engine structural components and scalable for an individual customer’s laser-powder bed additive machine parts for single-aisle aircraft,” stated project and its feature resolution on the market with a build envelope Mohammad Ehteshami, Vice President and build-rate speeds will equal or of 800 mm x 400 mm x 500 mm. and General Manager of GE Additive. better today’s additive machines. The www.geadditive.com

Höganäs’ proprietary technology Digital Metal® is making great strides into territories previously ruled by conventional manufacturing technologies. High productivity has What’s so good brought our 3D metal printing services into large series production. about it?

However, Digital Metal does not only provide a cost-effective way of manufacturing • High productivity • Excellent surface quality small, complex metal parts not achievable through any other technology. It is also an • High resolution ideal solution for the production of mass-customised components, or flexible serial • Serial production volumes. • Mass-customisation • Repeatability Every single part in a batch of components can be custom-made, no matter the number. So, yes, it is time so start thinking beyond imagination.

titanium powder grades now available GKN Hoeganaes begins production of include AncorTi™ CP and AncorTi™ titanium powder in the US 6Al4V as well as a host of nickel and ferrous based powders. Additionally, GKN Hoeganaes, a global leader in controlled for quality and consistency. GKN Hoeganaes is developing a the production of high quality metal The advanced powder atomising family of new powder alloys for powders, has started production at process uses a proven refractory-free Additive Manufacturing including its Additive Manufacturing powder melting method to produce very high advanced titanium powders to be facility, co-located with its Powder purity powders said to be suitable for used in applications that require high Innovation Center in Cinnaminson, aerospace and medical applications. All oxidation-resistance, specialised New Jersey, USA. The new powder production is certified and completed nickel-based alloys to be for high atomising facility is part of the according to the AS9100 quality temperature applications, and nickel- joint venture with TLS Technik of management system with medical titanium powders engineered for use Germany, announced last year, and quality management system certifica- in advanced medical devices. provides customers with a North tion now underway. Peter Oberparleiter, CEO of GKN American source for titanium and Powder Metallurgy, commented, “The other specialised powders for Additive AncorAM™ powders are specifically launch of titanium powder production Manufacturing. designed for Additive Manufacturing is a key part of GKN’s continued The facility now serves as the USA AncorAM™ metal powders are drive to offer a comprehensive set of production hub for AncorAM™ powder produced on full production scale products, services and technologies products and includes full-scale processing equipment and have been that enable the growth of metal atomising and powder finishing for engineered with alloy chemistry and Additive Manufacturing into a titanium alloys and other speciality powder characteristics specifically major industry and positions GKN powders for metal Additive Manufac- designed for Additive Manufacturing, Hoeganaes to enable its customers to turing. The dedicated Additive Manu- focusing on final product consistency. launch demanding additively manufacturing powder production lines are Powders for both selective laser factured components for aerospace housed in a 10,000 ft2 (930 m2) state melting and electron beam melting and medical applications.” of the art facility that is fully climate systems are available. Standard www.hoeganaes.com

Uddeholms AB to produce metal powders for Additive Manufacturing

Uddeholms AB, part of the Special Manufacturing in Asia and the Steel Division of voestalpine Group, NAFTA regions as a materials has announced the commencement supplier. of fine metal powder production at its “In order to reinforce the new pilot plant at Hagfors, Sweden. company’s global leadership in The new plant is the result of special steels for industrial tool ongoing investment at the site, which manufacture, over the coming years has seen voestalpine invest over further investments totalling around €100 million in expanding technology €30 million are planned, for new and capacity at Uddeholms AB over high-tech heat treatment facilities, the past decade. as well as research establishments Part production at voestalpine’s Powders produced at Uddeholms’ to further refine our steel grades. Additive Manufacturing Centre, Hagfors facility will be tested A focus of our future activities in Düsseldorf, Germany (Courtesy and processed into complex Hagfors also lies in producing metal voestalpine) components at voestalpine’s Additive powders designed for use in 3D Manufacturing Centre, Düsseldorf, metal printers,” stated Franz Rotter, Germany, as well as being sold Member of the Management Board In the business year 2015/16, the to external customers in the AM of voestalpine AG and head of the group generated revenue of €11.1 industry. According to the company, Group’s Special Steel Division. billion, with an operating result this will open up a new business voestalpine, which operates (EBITDA) of €1.6 billion. The group segment for Uddeholms AB and globally, has around 500 group employs 48,500 staff worldwide. support voestalpine’s planned companies and locations in more www.voestalpine.com expansion into metal Additive than 50 countries on five continents.

Autodesk Netfabb helps you quickly get from 3D model to successfully printed parts. Netfabb combines efficient build preparation capabilities with tools to optimize designs for additive manufacturing, simulate metal additive processes, and plan for CNC post-processing.

Together Wohlers Report Keppler new CEO with Dr Tobias 2017 shows of EOS GmbH Abeln (CTO) and Eric Paffrath increased AM EOS GmbH, Krailling, Germany, has (CFO), Keppler commercialisation appointed Dr Adrian Keppler as CEO heads up the and Speaker of Corporate Manage- operational and development ment at EOS GmbH with immediate management worldwide effect. Dr Hans J Langer, founder of at EOS GmbH. EOS, is handing over leadership of A new member will be appointed to Wohlers Associates, Inc., Fort EOS GmbH and, as CEO & Chairman his previous management position Collins, Colorado, USA, is a of the EOS Group, will increasingly as CMO of EOS GmbH. In the interim consulting firm and leading authority dedicate his efforts to strategically period, however, Keppler will fulfil on Additive Manufacturing and the expanding and developing the EOS both duties. associated industries. The company Group in its entirety. www.eos.info has announced the publication of its Wohlers Report 2017, marking the report’s 22nd consecutive year. According to the detailed report, some 97 manufacturers produced and sold Additive Manufacturing systems in 2016, compared to 62 companies in 2015 and 49 in 2014. This increase in development and commercialisation is putting AMPERSINT® – Tailored Metal Powders pressure on established producers of AM systems, the report states. for Additive Manufacturing The Additive Manufacturing Collaborate with us for customized powder development industry grew by 17.4% in worldwide as well as for large-scale production. revenues in 2016, a decrease of 25.9% from 2015. According to the > Expansive variety of alloys > Consistently high quality, from report, this decrease is the result of > Customer specific powder development prototyping to series production declines by the two largest system manufacturers in AM. Together, the two companies represent $1.31 Metal Powders for Additive Manufacturing billion (21.7%) of the $6.063 billion AM industry. If these two companies

were excluded from the analysis, the Raw materials industry would have grown by 24.9%. development For Wohlers Report 2017, input was collected from 100 service providers, 61 industrial system Prototyping manufacturers, and 19 producers of process third-party materials and low-cost Product idea desktop 3D printers. Separately, 76 experts and Small-scale Medium-scale Large-scale organisations in 31 countries Prototyping production production production contributed information and insight plant plant plant to the new publication. Together, they form the basis for computing growth, analysing trends and forecasting the future of Additive Manufacturing. The 344-page report includes 28 charts and graphs, 26 tables and 232 photographs and illustrations. wohlersassociates.com

Sandvik Osprey’s powder produc- Major expansion in gas atomised tion equipment has been designed powder production at Sandvik Osprey using the latest atomisation modelling and simulation techniques to Sandvik Osprey has signalled a major alloys, low-alloy steels, tool steels, produce powders which are optimised expansion of gas atomised powder nickel-based super alloys, cobalt for metal Additive Manufacturing. production capacity with the commis- alloys, copper alloys and specialist Here the company is focused on key sioning of a new atomising facility in alloys, including soft magnetic alloys markets including maraging tool Neath, UK. According to the company, and controlled expansion alloys. steel for conformal mould cooling, the expansion is prompted by strong The company states that its exten- stainless and low-alloy steels for demand for its premium metal sive powder offering serves diverse structural parts and nickel-based powders from both the rapidly growing market sectors including consumer, alloys for high temperature applica- metal Additive Manufacturing sector hand tools and medical devices, tions. Aluminium alloys are a new and well-established Metal Injection aerospace components and automo- addition to Sandvik’s portfolio, aimed Moulding industry. News of this latest tive turbochargers; fast growing at satisfying the specific demands of expansion follows a considerable sectors whose demand for high the Additive Manufacturing market. capacity expansion in late 2012. quantities of metal powder necessitate Recent growth in dental market Sandvik Osprey has been atomising Sandvik’s continued growth. Expansion applications, including custom-fit metals for more than 40 years and at the company’s Red Jacket Works, crowns and bridges, has also has 25 years’ experience producing Neath, will include a new fine powder prompted investment in a purpose- fine gas atomised powders, typically atomiser – providing a substantial built facility for cobalt powder of less than 30 microns, for the global increase in production capacity processing equipped with sieving, MIM industry. Over that time, it has and a commensurate increase in air classification, blending and invested continually in new capacity powder processing capability – with automated packing facilities. New and has extended its range of powders additional sieving and air classification rounds of expansion are planned over to cover many thousands of alloys, equipment, as well as new blending the coming years to further increase including a comprehensive selection facilities offering homogeneous batch capacity and capability. of pre-alloyed stainless steels, master sizes of up to 6000 kg. www.smt.sandvik.com

www.kymerainternational.com

Global Leaders in Aluminium and Copper powders

Prodways Group develops Rapid Additive Forging for large ti parts

Prodways Group, Les Mureaux, Robotique, a subsidiary of Groupe France, a subsidiary of Groupe Gorgé that has specialised in Gorgé, has announced its develop- robotised welding for more than ment of Rapid Additive Forging 40 years. A patent application has (RAF) technology for the Additive been filed by Prodways Group. The Manufacturing of large titanium process has been tested on various parts. The machine that has been metals, however there is a strong developed uses a robot equipped focus on titanium, a metal seeing with a head depositing molten metal increased use in new-generation Example of AM and partially in an atmosphere of inert gas. Metal aircraft. finish-machined titanium part is deposited layer-by-layer and large The company states that the (Courtesy Prodways) parts are completed within a few third generation of the prototype hours. can produce parts of more than This innovative technology, states 70 cm in length, however a version resistance compared with metal AM the company, quickly manufactures is being developed that will be able processes using laser or electron titanium blanks with very close to manufacture parts of up to 2 m in beams. geometries to the final part. These the main dimension. Prodways stated that several blanks are then finish-machined, It was stated that Rapid Additive players in the aeronautical industry thus avoiding considerable losses of Forging has been developed with a believe this technology family could material which can represent up to focus on metallurgical quality and be applied to nearly 50% of the 95% of a metal block with traditional the repeatability of the process. The titanium parts used to manufacture machining processes. first metallurgical tests conducted an aircraft and generate savings of The technology was developed on parts have revealed an absence up to 50% on the cost of parts. in collaboration with Commercy of porosity and greater mechanical www.prodways.com

Can you make ‚‚ Well, we already have. metal 3D printing aﬀ ordable for all

? creator.orlaser.com

Boeing passenger jet enters into service with metal AM engine components

GE has reported the first regular flight of the Boeing 737 MAX 8, an aircraft which is powered by two CFM engines, and aerodynamic the CFM56-7B engines operating International LEAP-1B engines. The improvements will allow us to go on today’s global 737 fleet. CFM LEAP engines are the first to be built to farther destinations,” explained reports that this leads to “dramatic with additively manufactured fuel Chandran Rama Muthy, the CEO reductions” in engine noise and

nozzles. According to GE Reports, of Malindo Air, a carrier that has emissions of CO2 and other exhaust fuel nozzles made this way can be ordered eight 737 MAX 8s so far. gases. manufactured in a single, complex LEAP engines were developed by The LEAP is the best selling engine piece instead of requiring assembly. engineers with CFM International, a in GE Aviation’s history. The A320neo This makes them lighter and more joint venture between GE Aviation and Airbus passenger jet, powered by durable, helping to improve the France’s Safran Aircraft Engines, and twin LEAP jet engines with AM fuel aircraft’s fuel burn. have been in operation since 2008. nozzles, completed its maiden flight “These new aircraft offer lower Altogether, GE states that LEAP-1B in May 2015. operating costs with better fuel engines are providing 15% lower www.geaviation.com efficiency due to its new LEAP-1B fuel consumption compared with www.gereports.com

announced aimed at allowing users Materialise broadens AM solutions and to take full control over their AM launches inspection software workflows. The company’s Robot 5.1 software update offers a 3D Materialise, headquartered in Plym- the lay-out and bundle it to their Nesting module, optimising part outh, Michigan, USA, has introduced machines. positioning to save time, money and a number of enhancements to its “Demand for additively materials. The companies 3-matic 12 Materialise Magics 3D Print Suite manufactured metal products and software update includes new ways to software portfolio. The company’s components is increasing across manipulate and optimise CAD designs new Materialise Inspector software several industries, and manufac- for AM and accepts a wider variety of allows users to analyse data at all turers need the tools to adapt and FEA file formats to create improved stages of the production process meet this demand,” explained Bryan lightweight structures. in order to meet predetermined Crutchfield, Vice President and “The components of the Mate- quality standards. According to the General Manager of Materialise rialise Magics 3D Print Suite work company, the software optimises North America. “Magics Print Metal together to address each step in the image processing for efficiency in extends our existing metal offerings. AM process and form the software post-build analysis and is capable The Magics 3D Print suite represents backbone of AM solutions for all of processing more than 4,000 the full digital thread, giving metal businesses and industries, from images in minutes – making big data machine manufacturers the ability design optimisation and data prepara- analysis easier and more efficient. to develop, implement and manage tion to production management and Materialise is also offering Magics each step of the 3D printing process. automation,” added Crutchfield. Print Metal software, said to be Now, with the new Inspector Materialise also announced its an easy-to-use solution designed software, users can also efficiently commitment to embedding simulation to facilitate access to metal AM. analyse data during each step to technology into its AM software, This software combines basic build ensure workflows and products will allowing users to simulate builds preparation and job file generation, fit their needs as well as the needs before production to avoid costly which Materialise states will of their customers and partners.” defects in designs, materials and streamline the AM process. Metal Further enhancements to processes. machine manufacturers can tailor the Magics 3D Print Suite were www.materialise.com

Knuckle made of EOS Aluminium AlSi10Mg: weight reduction of 660 g, increased rigidity. (Source: EOS / Rennteam Uni Stuttgart)

Systems and Equipment for Metal Manufacturing

For every solution, innovation with quality is our key guideline: EOS offers Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) systems for the economic production of high-quality prototypes, end products as well as series products.

Visit us at TCT Show, Birmingham, UK September 26-28, 2017 | Hall 3, Booth: D 60 EMO Hannover, Germany September 18-23, 2017 | Hall 27, Booth: D 52

www.eos.info

Latest MetalFAB1 system from Additive Industries targets process development and prototyping

Additive Industries, Eindhoven, Netherlands, has announced a new model of its MetalFAB1 industrial metal Additive Manufacturing system. The ‘MetalFAB1 Process & Applications Development Tool’ is aimed at prototyping applications and designed to help first-time users gain experience with metal Additive Manufacturing before scaling for series production. The system incorporates the modular architecture The MetalFAB1 Process & Application Development Tool typical of the MetalFAB1 system family, and will allow (Courtesy Additive Industries) users to upgrade to a full-size MetalFAB1 system at a later date. The technology and build volume (420 x 420 x 400 mm) are identical to the larger systems for series “This machine is the result of a productive dialogue production. Additive Industries suggested that existing with our customers and prospective users and completes MetalFAB1 users might also use the new system to the range of MetalFAB1 systems for industrial metal develop build strategies and process settings for new Additive Manufacturing,” stated Mark Vaes, CTO, Additive materials and applications, before transferring these Industries. “There is no other solution offering so much to their larger industrial systems for series production. flexibility to expand in combination with future-proof 3D This will prevent disturbances to production planning and printing capabilities,” added Daan Kersten, Co-founder regular operations, the company added. and CEO.

ALD Vacuum Technologies High Tech is our Business

Superclean Spherical Metal Powder EIGA – Electrode Induction-melting Inert Gas Atomization

n Leading process for production of metal powder of refractory metal, reactive metal, precious metal and intermetallic alloys n Superclean powder due to ceramic-free vacuum induction melting ALD Vacuum n Spherical powder morphology with high tap density Technologies GmbH n Melting and atomization without refractory consumable Otto-von-Guericke-Platz 1 crucible and without cold-wall crucible 63457 Hanau, Germany Phone +49 6181 307-0 n Compact unit for small production capacity Fax +49 6181 307-3290 n Powder for shaped-HIP, MIM and metal AM E-Mail [email protected] (Additive Manufacturing) www.ald-vt.de

Norsk Titanium to expand production capacity at New York facility

Norsk Titanium AS, headquartered in Oslo, Norway, has finalised a definitive purchase agreement for twelve of its Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) Merke-IV™ machines with Fort Schuyler Management Corporation and Empire State Development for use in its Plattsburgh, North Country, New York, USA, production centre. This new order will begin delivery in mid-2018. The agreement is in addition to a twenty-machine A Sauber F1 team race car (Courtesy Sauber F1) order announced last year. Machines from that order are being delivered throughout 2017. Each machine is capable of producing up to 20 tons of printed material per The Sauber F1 Team, headquartered in Hinwil, year, with significantly less waste and machining energy Switzerland, will be the first customer of the MetalFAB1 than conventional processing, allowing for a cost savings Process & Application Development Tool. The deal is of more than 30%. part of a three-year technology partnership between “Norsk Titanium’s new production and development the two companies and was announced by Steffen facilities will bolster the North Country’s advanced Schrodt, Head of Wind Tunnel Operations at Sauber F1 manufacturing sector and the increasing demand for Team, and Christoph Hansen, who is responsible for their products is great news for the local economy,” Additive Manufacturing, during a keynote speech at the stated Empire State Development President, CEO & Rapid.Tech conference and exhibition, Erfurt, Germany, Commissioner Howard Zemsky. June 20-22, 2017. www.norsktitanium.com The Sauber F1 Team, which has significant experience in polymer-based Additive Manufacturing, will purchase two industrial MetalFAB1 3D metal Additive Manufacturing systems over the course of two years www.cambridge-sensotec.co.uk to expand its expertise into metal AM. The partner- [email protected] ship with Sauber F1 Team was said to underline the +44 (0)1480 462142 ambition of Additive Industries to become a leading AM system manufacturer for demanding markets such as aerospace, automotive, medical implants and high-tech equipment. “We are honoured to be invited to join the Sauber F1 Team as a Technology Partner. Sauber has been the launch pad for champions for decades, Michael Schu- macher, Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa and Sebastian Vettel all started their F1 careers at this unique private Swiss team. The professionalism of the Sauber F1 Team as well as their drive for technological innovation, they own one of the most advanced automotive wind tunnels in the world, fits beautifully with our quest for industrial excellence,” stated Kersten. “We are delighted to welcome Additive Industries on Cambridge Sensotec, manufactures of the Rapidox range board as our new technological partner at the Sauber of gas analysers, have been working with the leading AM machine manufactures to supply high performance oxygen F1 Team. Since this innovative fabrication technology analysers measuring ppm levels of oxygen within the is still in the early stages of industrialisation, it is an process. The analysers are supplied as an OEM component ideal moment for us to take on this challenge with our to integrate seamlessly into the AM product. new partner. By doing so, we will gain and develop the necessary know-how in this area. It is our mission to Oxidisation occurring within the AM process can lead to build set new standards,” stated Monisha Kaltenborn, Sauber failures or components ultimately failing to meet the standards required due to stress test failure or density test failure. F1 Team CEO and Team Principal at the time of the announcement. For more information on our OEM components, contact the www.additiveindustries.com experts in gas analysis and see how we can help you. www.sauberf1team.com

Metal-AM-Summer-Advert-2017.indd 1 05/06/2017 12:26:16 Vol. 3 No. 2 © 2017 Inovar Communications Ltd Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2017 15 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! AMERICAS Los Angeles, CA September 13

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South Africa’s Council for Scientific Aeroswift developing large scale metal and Industrial Research (CSIR) and powder based AM machine Boeing, who joined the project in 2013, are reportedly in talks with According to Reuters, researchers “Our machine is unique and the Aeroswift and the South African at South Africa’s government and only one in the world,” stated Hardus government to secure the project’s Aerosud backed Aeroswift research Greyling, Contract Co-ordinator. “We commercial success. project are reported to be developing have developed new technologies “How best to commercialise a large scale titanium powder-based and patents which allows us to the process is a discussion we are metal Additive Manufacturing upscale the additive process to go currently having with the Aeroswift machine. significantly faster and significantly partners and relevant government With a production chamber larger than other systems.” agencies,” said Simon Ward, Airbus’s measuring 2 m x 0.6 m x 0.6 m, The Aeroswift research project Vice President for International Aeroswift’s newly designed AM was created in 2011, with the aim Co-operation in Toulouse. machine is reported to have achieved of boosting South Africa’s economic If successful, Aeroswift’s metal production speeds of up to ten times outlook by leveraging its natural Additive Manufacturing process that of currently available commercial titanium reserves. According to the could save the automotive, laser melting machines. Last year, 2013 US Geological Survey, South aerospace and military industries the machine was used for the first Africa’s natural titanium reserves millions of dollars on fuel and time to produce a pilot’s throttle lever, rank fourth in the world behind production costs, as aluminium fuel tank pylon bracket and condition China, Australia and India. bodies are replaced by lighter lever grip. These parts are expected Airbus, who helped found the titanium alloys. to be in test flights later in 2017. project through partnership with www.aerosud.co.za/tech

Carpenter Technology begins Cooksongold and production of high-strength, BMC collaborate low-oxygen titanium powder to offer precious metal AM jewellery Carpenter Technology Corpora- requirements,” explained Michael tion, Philadelphia, PA, USA, has Murtagh, Carpenter’s Chief B.M.C. srl, Gusago, Italy, has announced the production of Technology Officer. “CARTECH announced a collaboration with CARTECH® PURIS 5+™, claimed to PURIS 5+ makes this balance UK-based Cooksongold and its be the market’s first high-strength, easier, more efficient and more precious metal Additive Manufac- low-oxygen titanium powder effective from the start and turing division. B.M.C will adopt the solution. throughout the titanium powder Precious M 080 AM system devel- A custom composition of lifecycle”. CARTECH PURIS 5+ is oped by Cooksongold and EOS at its Ti-6AI-4V that meets all Grade 5 Carpenter Technology’s first major Italian facility, enabling the company specifications, the company states powder product introduction since to offer a complete precious metal that the powder signals a break- its acquisition of Puris, LLC earlier AM service to its customers in the through in additive manufacturers’ this year. luxury jewellery sector. ability to better control oxygen “The future of aerospace “We are always looking to content inherent to their processes hinges on advancing Additive incorporate the latest technology without compromising powder Manufacturing technology,” and production possibilities. Direct strength. stated Tony R Thene, Carpenter’s precious metal 3D printing with “Balancing oxygen levels Chief Executive Officer. “It’s an the M 080 system provides us with desired strength proper- exciting, yet complex process with with another tool and production ties is a challenge in Additive enormous potential and it requires method which will ensure we can Manufacturing. CARTECH PURIS extensive metallurgical expertise, continue to push the boundaries of 5+ provides the simultaneous in addition to quality powder jewel and watch creation,” stated optimisation of powder recyclability products. Carpenter Technology Carlo Massavelli, B.M.C CEO and and strength, alleviating concerns is well-positioned to provide Chairman. about using low oxygen powder these value-added solutions to www.cooksongold-emanufac- (to maximise powder reuse) while customers.” turing.com still exceeding standard strength www.cartech.com www.bmc-srl.com

GE Additive adds Predix Platform to Concept Laser machines

GE Additive has announced that it will add Predix Platform capabilities to its Concept Laser M2 cusing additive machines, giving customers the opportunity to remotely monitor their machines, increasing their productivity and improving their operations. From September this year, all Concept Laser M2 cusing and additive machines will be delivered to customers equipped with Predix Edge technology. This move will allow customers to remotely The M2 cusing machine from Concept laser monitor and collect data from their machines, helping them analyse trends and uncover insights to improve asset manage and monetise applications for the Industrial performance and operations. Internet. For GE Additive customers, Predix enables “What you’re witnessing is the beauty of the GE Store,” industrial-scale analytics for them to: stated Mohammad Ehteshami, Vice President and General Manager for GE Additive. “We’ve taken the best technology • Know exactly when their build has finished – from GE and applied it to Concept Laser’s additive regardless of their location – optimising capacity in machines, improving them and making our customers their factory more efficient and more productive.” • Know if their machine parameters are running on Developed by GE Digital, the Predix Platform connects trend or outside of their control limits – augmenting machines, data and people to power digital industrial their quality management systems transformation. As a distributed operating system from • Get early detection notifications to customer’s mobile the edge to the cloud, Predix helps companies develop, phones – reducing down-time and maximising capacity. In the future, GE Additive updates, supported by Predix technology, will give customers the ability to: • Predict when preventive maintenance is required – reducing unscheduled downtime and improving machine availability • Create their own applications to review and analyse the data they want, where they want and when they want • Control the ability for real-time parameter modifications – allowing for faster development cycles. Predix Edge Manager allows industrial companies to monitor and control devices at the edge, on a device or machine, as well as make software updates as soon as they are available. The technology enables operators to make changes that can improve performance, mitigate security threats and better manage assets, even from The Ntron SIL-02 Oxygen Analyser thousands of miles away. This move is said to reinforce is speciﬁcally designed for OEMs Predix as the only platform that provides computing to address the need for a low cost capabilities from the edge to the cloud, giving customers SIL2 oxygen analyser for inertisation visibility, control and analytic insights to every part of their in Additive Manufacturing. Accurate from 1ppm to 25%, it is the perfect industrial operations. addition to your safety critical Access to this information and the ability to generate process control applications. insight can save a customer time by preventing unplanned downtime on their machines. “We want customers to fully utilise their capacity and realise the full potential of their machines,” stated Ehteshami. “All of this information will be available to them from the cloud, accessible from EXCELLENCE anywhere.” THROUGH DIVERSITY www.ntron.com www.geadditive.com

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citim is a service provider specialized in Additive Manufacturing for prototypes and Materials production parts. Furthermore, all services are brought to- • Aluminium (AlSi7Mg, AlSi10Mg, AlSi9Cu3, gether in one place covering the whole production chain: part design, printing process, AlSi12CuNiMg) CNC machining and post processing. citim • Aluminium - Scalmalloy® has its own development capacities for new materials and parameter optimization. • Cobalt Chrome (CoCr) • Copper Alloy (CuNi2SiCr) The service bureau is a leading supplier for metal AM components with production faci- • Inconel (IN625, IN718) lities in Europe and North America. • Stainless Steel (316L, 17-4, 1.4859) Now get the benefit from our experience • Titanium (TiAl6V4) and our know-how, worldwide and over nu- • Tool Steel (1.2709) merous business segments.

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VDM Metals puts new powder plant into operation

VDM Metals GmbH has announced that it is putting a new powder atomisation plant into operation at its site in Unna, Germany. VDM presented its plans for powder production for Additive Manufacturing at the 2017 Paris Air Show in June and the company states that this investment will allow the company to extend its product portfolio. The development includes the construction of a new hall for powder production as well as procurement of the required units. A vacuum inert gas atomisation (VIGA) plant forms the core of the powder manufacturing facility, comprising a vacuum induction melting furnace and an atomisation unit in which the extremely pure powder is produced under vacuum conditions via vacuum induction melting and subsequent inert gas atomisation. The plant is currently in the commissioning phase. “Our aim is to consolidate our position as a world market leader in high-performance materials with this investment”, stated Dr Niclas Müller, Chief Executive Officer. “This means we can rise to the challenge of utilising new technologies to thrive in tomorrow’s changing market environment. The new production plant will allow us to extend our product portfolio as a reliable supplier of powder materials.” www.vdm-metals.com Particle Size & Shape 3T RPD adds finishing facility Analysis of Metal Powders to AM services

3T RPD, Newbury, UK, has announced the addition of a CAMSIZER X2 – new generation optical particle complete finishing facility to complement its manufac- analyzer with patented dual camera technology, turing capability. According to 3T RPD, this will enable based on Dynamic Image Analysis. the company to supply the complete AM process chain from design to delivery; improve its customer offering; n Wide measuring range from 0.8 µm to 8 mm have greater control over the key AM processes and reduce delivery lead times, becoming a ‘one stop shop’ n Dry and wet measurement for Additive Manufacturing services. n Reliable detection of oversized and 3T’s new finishing facility augments its pre-existing undersized particles down to 0.01% Vol AM production front-end process services, such as design for AM, R&D, training and powder management. n Particle shape analysis down into As part of its capacity upscaling, 3T’s metal finishing the low micron range facility now includes a GF 5-Axis CNC milling machine, allowing the company to precision machine components in-house. The facility also includes a vibro-polisher, which can reportedly provide a better than 0.8Ra finish on metal components. 3T previously invested in an aluminium heat Visit us at Stand #85 treatment oven and has just installed a large vacuum furnace, enabling the company to provide high-integrity heat treatment for Titanium, Inconel and other alloys. www.retsch-technology.com www.3trpd.co.uk

Arcam brings together best-in-class additive manufacturing systems, the highest quality materials, and real-world production expertise, changing the way manufacturers conceive and produce metal components. As the leading provider for titanium additive manufacturing solutions, we use our collective knowledge to inspire and disrupt conventional thinking for production. Welcome to manufacturing unbound. Welcome to Arcam.

BASF launches Ultrafuse 316LX for fused filament fabrication of metal parts

BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany, has developed its Ultrafuse 316LX for use in fused filament fabrication BASF’S Ultrafuse 316LX is suited to a broad range of applications for functional (FFF) systems for the production prototyping and small series production (Courtesy BASF) of metal parts. Ultrafuse 316LX is metal-polymer composite filament with a non-slip surface allowing its debinding removes the polymer a 316L stainless steel option exists, application in any bowden or direct from the part and sintering in pure but BASF states that other metal drive extruder. Its high flexibility hydrogen or a vacuum results in options will be developed. allows it to be funnelled through the finished metal part. The whole The filament is said to be suited complex idler pulleys as well as process is said to be faster and less to a broad range of applications for guide roller filament transportation expensive than offered by existing functional prototyping and small systems. SLM systems. series production. BASF lists various Once formed, the parts undergo Ultrafuse 316LX is available in applications including watches, a standard debinding and sintering 1.75 and 2.85 mm diameter filament. decorative parts, medical equipment process introduced to the Metal According to BASF, no changes to and parts for the food and chemical Injection Moulding (MIM) market the FFF hardware are required to industry. by BASF in the 1980s. Catalytic process the material. Currently only www.basf.com

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DIN 1.2709 / MS1 / Quantity At least ~ Marage 300 ordered 10 kg DIN 1.4542 / 17-4PH (capable to meet THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMPONENT MANUFACTURING chemistry of AMS) Grain size/ 15 to DIN 2.4668 (capable fraction 150 µm to meet the chemistry of API and AMS)

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Leading industrial bakery equipment supplier orders second MetalFAB1 system

Kaak Group, a leading supplier of production equipment and technology to the bread and baked products markets, POWDER HANDLING has placed an order for a second MetalFAB1 metal Additive Manufacturing system from Additive Industries. The MetalFAB1, which will be used for series production of industrial bakery equipment parts, is a five-module four-laser production series system. The order comes within nine months of the installation of the Kaak Group’s first MetalFAB1 system. In May 2017, Additive Industries upgraded their first MetalFAB1 system to the new four-laser version to increase speed and capacity, but Kaak reports that it expects this will not yet be sufficient to keep up with the demand for internal parts for its baking systems. “Our engineers have embraced metal Additive Manufacturing and the number of parts with a positive business case over other fabrication technologies is growing rapidly,” stated Lodewijk van der Borg, Kaak Group CEO. Jaap Bulsink, Senior R&D Engineer at Kaak, added, “the MetalFAB1 has been used successfully to print a broad range of components for our systems, offering improved performance, lighter weight parts and a substantial reduction of development lead-time.” According to Additive Industries, this follow-on order is a clear signal to the market that the MetalFAB1 system has matured and that the production series system – the first having been installed at BMW in December 2016 – is gaining traction. “We are proud and grateful for this follow-on order from Kaak, one of our most valuable Beta customers. They have truly stress-tested our MetalFAB1 Inert-AM.com system and helped us to improve its performance and mature the machine for series production. This i n e r t t e c h n o l o g y. co m order underlines their commitment and confidence in our technology,” stated Daan Kersten, CEO, Additive [email protected] Industries. +1-978-462-4415 www.additiveindustries.com @inert_ t e c h inert-corp DE-POWDERING ENCLOSURES AUTOMATED SIEVING STATIONS ARGON GAS MANAGEMENT

METAL POWDER RECLAMATION The build chamber on a MetalFAB1 machine (Courtesy Additive Industries)

GKN Sinter Metals reports development of new metal powder for AM

GKN’s Sinter Metals has reported the • And is inherently tough, but still development of a new case-hardened machinable low carbon alloy steel, 20MnCr5. Manufacturing prototype parts in In the company’s blog, edited by Dr the new material uses a very similar Simon Hoeges, Manager of Additive process to the old, but the parameters GKN Sinter Metals has produced a Manufacturing at GKN, it is stated and process have been optimised new case-hardened low carbon alloy that GKN Sinter Metals, working with for the case-hardened alloy by steel for use in AM gear prototypes GKN Driveline, produced the powder carburising each component’s surface (Courtesy GKN Sinter Metals) for use in additively manufactured before quenching and tempering gear prototypes. the part. Carburised components tial for AM in the aftermarket sector, As well as the ability to be case include gears of all kind, camshafts, particularly regarding the production hardened, 20MnCr5 also features universal joints, driving pinions, link of low-volume spare parts. the following desired characteristics, components, axles and arbours. Since completing its first small which GKN states are key in parts Hoeges states that GKN can now batch of 32 gear wheels in 20MnCr5 for a host of industries. According to manufacture parts made completely for a leading gearbox supplier, GKN, the material offers: of 20MnCr5 and offer hybrid produc- GKN Sinter Metals states that it • High strength while remaining tion; meaning that the company is has received numerous enquiries ductile able to combine different manufac- regarding its AM capabilities, and turing techniques with metal AM. that it will continue working with • High fatigue strength 20MnCr5 can also be combined with GKN Driveline on applications for • Excellent wear resistance all weldable materials, which Hoeges aftermarket sales. through case hardening states could create widespread poten- www.gknsintermetals.com

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Norsk titanium completes material is ready to support the stringent requirements of the in-space market, revolutionising how the industry testing of Rapid Plasma incorporates titanium into their critical designs.” Deposition component with Successful completion of this testing is said to have positioned Norsk Titanium to be a leading supplier of Thales Alenia Space structural AM components to Thales Alenia Space. Adop- tion of RPD material allows Thales Alenia Space to cut Norsk Titanium AS, Oslo, Norway, has completed testing current part buy-to-fly ratios in half and reduce lead-times of its Rapid Plasma Deposition™ (RPD™) material by six months. with Thales Alenia Space, the Franco-Italian joint venture “Thales Alenia Space is very pleased to confirm that the between Thales Group and Leonardo SpA, to develop, Rapid Plasma Deposition solution from Norsk Titanium produce and test components for use in spaceflight. was successfully tested from a mechanical point of view. Under a contract signed in 2016, Norsk Titanium collabo- Thales Alenia Space builds larger and larger material rated with Thales Alenia Space to develop, produce and parts using additive manufacturing, which represents test an initial qualification component. Under the terms an important advance during the fabrication phase”, of the test plan, Norsk Titanium evaluated the suitability explained Florence Montredon, Additive Manufacturing of their RPD material to replace near-net shape forgings Technology Development manager at Thales Alenia Space. for spaceflight applications. Norsk Titanium confirmed Norsk Titanium’s Rapid Plasma Deposition process that mechanical testing had been completed and the uses titanium wire to produce complex components RPD material performed in accordance with the mutually suitable for structural and safety-critical applications. The developed requirements. company is a tier-1 supplier to Boeing and states that RPD “Norsk Titanium is delighted to mature our is the world’s first FAA-approved, AM structural titanium, relationship with Thales Alenia Space,” stated Norsk delivering substantial lead-time and cost savings for Titanium CEO Warren M Boley Jr. “Along with our recent aerospace, defence and commercial customers. commercial aerospace successes, this provides further www.thalesaleniaspace.com evidence that Norsk Titanium’s Rapid Plasma Deposition www.norsktitanium.com

Carpenter enters supply HK technologies, inc. relationship with Desktop

AN AFFILIATE OF Metal

Carpenter Technology Corporation, Philadelphia, PA, USA, has entered into a supply relationship with Desktop Metal, Inc., Burlington, MA, USA. More than twenty CarTech® alloy grades will be available to be used in Desktop Metal’s end-to-end metal Additive Manufac- turing systems. “As we develop technology for next generation manufacturing solutions, it is essential to collaborate Ultrasonic DeblinDing system • Ultrasonic screeners • laboratory sieves Fine mesh screening • screen replacement service • hanD-helD sieves with innovative partners,” stated Tony R Thene, Carpenter Technology’s Chief Executive Officer. “Leveraging the combined capabilities of Desktop Metals and Carpenter With HK technologies Technology, we will undoubtedly bring enhanced value to Fine mesh Screening equipment You can: this rapidly growing market.” Ric Fulop, CEO and Co-Founder of Desktop Metal, Produce Perfect Particle Sizing, Remove Fines from Batches or Perform Liquid/Solid Separation stated, “We are excited to include Carpenter Technology in our materials catalogue. When you a have a supplier Handle Screening Dry or Wet Materials from 5 Micron to #10 Mesh whose stellar reputation for material quality, technical Increase Sieving Rates and Utilize100% of the Screen Deck expertise and market diversity is known throughout the Surface with HK Technologies Ultrasonics Deblinding System industry, it will only help our customers succeed in the metal 3D printing market.” www.cartech.com See HoW FaSt We get Fine, contact uS todaY! www.desktopmetal.com www.clevelandvibrator.com

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Industrial Additive Technologies

TRUMPF offers both key technologies for metal additive manufacturing: Laser Metal Fusion (LMF) and Laser Metal Deposition (LMD). Both processes meet the characteristics and quality required in various applications. Industrial solutions for the entire process by TRUMPF, based on the following keys to success: robust machines, intelligent digitalization and clever services. www.trumpf.com/s/3dprintingsystems | contents page | news | events | advertisers’ index | contact | Industry News

Optical Tomography: How the EOS releases EOSTATE Exposure OT: process works Optical Tomography for real-time With Optical Tomography, the system deploys a high-resolution monitoring of metal AM camera to monitor the exposure process. The camera records the EOS, headquartered in Krailling, was primarily developed for series complete building platform at high Germany, is expanding its EOSTATE manufacturing purposes, where it has frequency in the near-infrared range monitoring suite to include an been in use for several months and throughout the entire AM process, additional tool, EOSTATE Exposure OT. proven its efficiency. thereby providing detailed data on This is said to be the first commercial “At MTU Aero Engines we the melting behaviour of the mate- system for Optical Tomography (OT) recognised the potential of Additive rial across the entire build space. and provides real-time, camera- Manufacturing early on. However, Based on the data captured, based monitoring of the build process until now we didn’t have the experi- the melting behaviour of steel, in the EOS M 290 system. The solution ence and the volume of data needed aluminium, titanium and a variety fully maps each part throughout to sufficiently evaluate the quality of of alloys involved in the additive the build process, layer-by-layer, the parts and transfer the technology build process can be analysed and regardless of its geometry and size. to large-scale manufacturing. We are monitored in great detail using Dr Tobias Abeln, Chief Technical confident that we will be able to do so special software. If certain results Officer at EOS, stated, “With EOSTATE with EOSTATE Exposure OT,” stated deviate from a ‘normal range’, which Exposure, we are offering companies Dr Jürgen Kraus, Senior Consultant can be individually defined by means an even more comprehensive process Additive Manufacturing at MTU. of parameters, these areas are monitoring and quality assurance. As Two other pilot customers, marked.The growing volume of data such, we are helping customers meet Liebherr and IPC, will also continue to makes it possible to determine the the stringent inspection requirements use the system after the pilot phase impact of these so-called indicators for each component, particularly in and integrate it in their manufacturing on the quality of the manufactured sectors such as aerospace.” processes. Alexander Altmann, Lead parts with ever greater precision. The system was developed in close Engineer Additive Manufacturing/TRPI EOSTATE Exposure OT is a collaboration with MTU Aero Engines. Research & Technology at Liebherr, self-learning system that becomes The EOSTATE Exposure OT enables commented, “We are now using increasingly intelligent the more MTU to significantly reduce costs EOSTATE Exposure OT and EOSTATE data it is fed. The ultimate aim is for downstream, non-destructive MeltPool from EOS and expect both to recognise possible sources of examination in technical Computer technologies to give us a profound defects during the building process Tomography (CT), as potentially understanding of the phenomena and reject any defective parts. defective parts can be rejected at relevant for quality when additively www.eos.info an earlier stage. At MTU the system producing titanium parts.”

Concept Laser and Lauak sign Letter process. Lauak will also present the Concept Laser machine to reference of Intent for Additive Manufacturing customers in its showroom, including collaboration the presentation of test objects for demonstration purposes. Concept Concept Laser, a GE Additive company additive processes and design new Laser and Lauak will collaborate to based in Lichtenfels, Germany, and products. redesign components from the Lauak Lauak Group, an aeronautical company “Lauak sees the potential of Addi- portfolio. based in Ayherre, France, have signed tive Manufacturing and I’m delighted Mikel Charritton, CEO of Lauak a Letter of Intent (LOI) to launch an they’ve chosen Concept Laser stated, “We see the huge potential alliance that they state will advance equipment to help the company on its in Additive Manufacturing and we Additive Manufacturing in the aero- journey,” stated Frank Herzog, CEO want to use this technology to space industry. The agreement was of Concept Laser. “We will support complete and improve our current signed at the 2017 Paris Air Show. them with equipment, processes and manufacturing processes, as well as Lauak will invest in Concept Laser people to allow them to meet their the manufacture of new components additive machines as a reference objectives.” for the aviation industry.” customer for Concept Laser Concept Laser will support Lauak www.geadditive.com technology. Also, Concept Laser will during the implementation phase of www.groupe-lauak.com work closely with Lauak to implement the equipment into its manufacturing

EURO PM2017 conference Sintavia unveils programme published plans for new advanced The European Powder Metallurgy The Euro PM2017 exhibition Association (EPMA) has announced will take place in parallel to the manufacturing the publication of the conference technical sessions and will provide facility programme for its Euro PM2017 a showcase for the global Powder International Conference and Metallurgy and Additive Manufac- Sintavia, LLC, has announced plans Exhibition. Taking place in Milan, Italy, turing industries. Euro PM2017 will to construct a 55,000 ft2 factory in October 1–5, 2017, the event will cover also include a number of special Hollywood, Florida, USA, close to all aspects of Powder Metallurgy interest seminars, workshops and the company’s current Davie, Florida including dedicated sessions on metal social events. facility. The new plant, which will also Additive Manufacturing. www.europm2017.com serve as Sintavia’s new headquarters, is expected to launch in mid-2018 and to quadruple the company’s current production capacity. “With this new facility, we are excited to continue our leadership in the development of the metal AM supply chain for OEMs in precision industries,” stated Brian Neff, Sintavia’s Chairman and CEO. “We will use this additional space not only Sintervac® AM debind and sinter to grow our existing competencies in laser and electron beam melting, but also to industrialise new technologies vacuum furnaces for Additive such as metal binder jet manufacturing.” Manufactured parts In addition to the company’s current manufacturing equipment Over 6,500 production and laboratory furnaces manufactured since 1954 and materials laboratory, Sintavia • Metal or graphite hot zones reports that the new facility will house over $20 million of new machinery, • Processes all binders for metals or ceramics including larger AM equipment, an • Sizes from 8-1500 liters automated powder handling system, (0.3–54 cu ft.) an uninterruptable power supply, • Pressures from 10-6 mbar to an inert gas farm and an enhanced Atmosphere post-processing footprint. • Precision heat treating post “The key to Sintavia’s success processing available over the past few years has been our vertically integrated approach to • Vacuum, Ar, N2 and H2 • Max possible temperature metal AM,” explained Doug Hedges, 3,500°C (6,332°F) Sintavia’s President and COO. “Our • Worldwide field service, ability to rapidly qualify machines rebuilds and parts for all and processes through the use of makes our on-site laboratories, scanning, and post-processing equipment Sintervac® AM demonstrates meaningful value to our customers. This same approach will TM Workhorse AM continue on a larger scale with our new production facility.” Sintavia anticipates that the Centorr Vacuum Industries 55 Northeastern Blvd expansion will create more than Nashua, NH 03062 135 jobs for skilled employees and USA Tel: +1 603 595 7233 support staff in the South Florida Fax: +1 603 595 9220 region. Email: [email protected] www.centorr.com/am www.sintavia.com

Former Boeing CTO De-powdering enclosure with argon gas joins 3D Systems’ management

Board of Directors Inert, Amesbury, Massachusetts, System to avoid contamination from USA, exhibited its latest oxygen, moisture, dust, organic 3D Systems, Rock Hill, South Caro- de-powdering enclosure at matter or plastic— any of which lina, USA, has announced the addition Rapid + TCT, May 8-11, 2017, in could render metal powders useless of Dr John Tracy to the company’s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The or require costly tracing and removal. Board of Directors. In line with 3D company’s latest enclosure features Keeping airborne powder particulate Systems’ strategy and focus on key an argon gas management system, within Inert’s controlled atmosphere vertical applications, the company designed to protect operators also eliminates user health risks, states, Tracy brings with him deep from unhealthy exposure and damage to area electronics and fire experience in engineering, technology metal powders from atmospheric hazards related to the combustibility and leadership within the aerospace contamination. of titanium powders. industry. Inert’s de-powdering enclosure Following news of Inert’s recent Tracy has more than 37 years of is designed to benefit the post-build partnering with Sievgen, the experience in the aerospace industry, Additive Manufacturing process company also displayed a Sievgen most recently as CTO and Senior by safely collecting excess metal 04 automated sieving station during VP of Engineering, Operations and powders from printed parts for the exhibition. According to Inert, the Technology at Boeing from 2006-2016. reuse, thereby reducing both cost station allows users to work safely Prior to working for Boeing, he was and waste. This de-powdering with, weigh and measure, reclaim, with Hercules Aerospace Company procedure is conducted within an and transfer metal and other and McDonnell Douglas Corp. argon atmosphere controlled by powders. www.3dsystems.com Inert’s Argon-2 Gas Management www.inert-am.com

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Desktop Metal announces two new metal AM systems for prototyping and mass production

Desktop Metal, based in Burlington, AM. In addition, by using cloud- Massachusetts, USA, has announced based software to link stages of the two new metal Additive Manufacturing workflow, the system is expected to systems aimed at prototyping and help eliminate the need for dedicated mass production. According to the operators, making it possible to input company, the new systems, DM designs direct from CAD software. Studio and DM Production, mark a The DM Studio will also feature ‘fundamental shift’ in how products Desktop Metal’s proprietary Separate will be developed and brought to Supports, a type of support structure market, reducing production costs which can be removed safely by Desktop Metal’s new Studio System and increasing speed, safety and net hand, along with swappable print incorporates easily changeable quality. cartridges for rapid material changes. print cartridges in its Bound Metal The DM Studio System has been It is reportedly compatible with a Deposition process designed as an ‘office-friendly’ metal large variety of metal alloys, making AM system for rapid prototyping and it possible to prototype parts in the claims to be ten times less expensive material that will be used in mass “Until now, metal 3D printing has than existing technologies. The production. failed to meet today’s manufacturing system is sold as a complete plat- The DM Production System is needs due to high costs, slow form, including a printer, debinding designed for the mass Additive processes and hazardous materials,” unit and microwave-enhanced Manufacturing of metal parts. Using stated Ric Fulop, CEO and Co-founder sintering furnace. It is stated that the company’s proprietary Single Pass of Desktop Metal. “With a team of DM Studio will help to eliminate the Jetting technology, it is claimed that some of the world’s leading experts need to house Additive Manufacturing the DM Production system will operate in materials science, engineering systems in large industrial facilities at speeds one hundred times faster and innovation, Desktop Metal has through the use of Bound Metal than most laser-based AM systems, eliminated these barriers by devel- Deposition, a proprietary process having the potential to dramatically oping metal 3D printing systems that which uses no hazardous technolo- reduce cost-per-part and allow metal can safely produce complex, strong gies and is similar in method to Fused AM to compete with mass production metal parts at scale.” Deposition Modelling, used in plastic techniques such as casting. www.desktopmetal.com

transformative power of Additive Oerlikon and GE Additive sign MoU for Manufacturing. As the adoption rate Additive Manufacturing collaboration of AM grows rapidly, it is through strategic partnerships that we can Oerlikon, Pfäffikon, Schwyz, Switzer- Dr Roland Fischer, CEO of the push forward the uptake of AM in land, has announced that it has signed Oerlikon Group, stated, “Developing industries, and we’re proud to partner a Memorandum of Understanding innovative technology is key to our with Oerlikon.” (MoU) with GE Additive to collaborate growth strategy and a distinct advan- Oerlikon has extensive expertise in on accelerating the industrialisation of tage Oerlikon brings to customers. advanced materials, AM production, Additive Manufacturing. The five-year Partnering with GE Additive, Concept post-processing and surface solu- agreement specifies the provision of Laser and Arcam AB on innovative tions. In 2016, the company acquired additive machines and services by GE AM materials and machines will citim GmbH to complement its addi- to Oerlikon, and Oerlikon becoming strengthen both companies’ positive production capabilities in Europe a preferred AM component manufac- tions in Additive Manufacturing, and the USA. Oerlikon is also building turer and materials supplier to GE and allows us to meet the growing a state-of-the-art AM powder produc- Additive and its affiliated companies. demand for additive components, tion facility in Plymouth, Michigan, Further, GE and Oerlikon will collabo- materials and services in many USA, an R&D and production facility rate on R&D in additive machines industries.” in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, and materials over the period of the Vice President and General and an R&D and innovation centre in agreement. The MoU includes GE Manager of GE Additive, Mohammad Munich, Germany. Additive affiliated companies Concept Ehteshami, added, “GE Additive www.geadditive.com Laser and Arcam AB. and Oerlikon both understand the www.oerlikon.com/am

part of a $7 billion organisation Sumitomo Heavy Industries acquires with such a strong global presence spray-form metal AM start-up in and balance sheet. SHI [Sumitomo] is positioned to invest heavily in $33 million deal our Hybrid-Field electric motor technology. The merger will also Sumitomo Heavy Industries, (40% higher power density) and enable us to take advantage of Tokyo, Japan, recently announced improved energy efficiency (up to the massive market potential for its acquisition of Persimmon 15% lower losses) compared to the hybrid-field electric motors in Technologies, Wakefield, state of the art. rapidly growing electric vehicle and Massachusetts, USA for $33 million. “Our technology offers a new industrial robotics markets.” With the acquisition, Sumitomo will approach to making electric motors “SHI has been impressed by gain access to Persimmon’s hybrid- using an Additive Manufacturing Persimmon’s team and its research field technology, which uses spray- process that significantly increases and development activities in form metal Additive Manufacturing power density, eliminates multiple vacuum robotics and hybrid-field to produce winding cores for electric production steps and reduces costs,” motor technology,” stated Shunsuke motors. explained Dr Martin Hosek, Vice Betsukawa, President and CEO Persimmon’s spray-forming AM President and CTO of Persimmon. of Sumitomo. “The acquisition process produces each winding “Being part of SHI will allow us will expand our product line and core from consecutive layers of to step up the pace of technical accelerate the growth of our soft magnetic composite material, development and further expand our company in semiconductor-related sprayed as metallic droplets to portfolio of world-class products.” fields and new markets.” create three-dimensional magnetic Michael Pippins, President and www.persimmontech.com flux paths. It says its motors provide CEO of Persimmon Technologies, www.shi.co.jp/english/ considerably higher power output added, “We are thrilled to become

Together with our partners, we Premium AEROTEC, EOS and Daimler can thus ensure state-of-the-art to develop next generation of metal technology for our industry.” “We are proud to be part of such AM technology a forward-looking project alongside Premium AEROTEC and Daimler,” Premium AEROTEC, EOS and significant cost advantages and lay commented Dr Hans J Langer, Daimler have announced a joint the foundations to use this technology Founder of EOS. “This underlines project to develop the next generation for large-scale serial manufacturing the growing footprint of industrial of Additive Manufacturing technology. in the future. In metal AM, the process 3D printing in serial production. As a According to AEROTEC, the new stages before and after the actual technology pioneer in powder-based project, entitled NextGenAM, seeks manufacturing process constitute AM, we contribute full engagement to accelerate the implementation around 70% of the manufacturing and long-lasting expertise. With EOS of metal Additive Manufacturing in costs. In addition to advanced system platforms, we push ahead the setup large-scale serial production. technology, the project aims to of this future production solution.” The primary objective will be to achieve a qualification of aluminium Dr Stefan Kienzle, Head of progress the automation of the entire for use in industrial AM. Advanced Development at Daimler, industrial AM process. To do this, the According to AEROTEC, EOS’s added, “We invented the car and we NextGenAM project team will review Quad-Laser System EOS M 400-4 are actively shaping the future of the entire AM process to examine metal AM machine will be at the core mobility. The elements that we bring which parts of it can be automated, of the new production process as the to this collaboration are our extensive from the delivery of metal powder to partners seek to design an economi- experience in automotive materials post-processing. Using its findings, cally efficient aluminium-based and the qualification of those the team is expected to invest several system, which is suitable for the materials, as well as our know-how million Euros into the planning of automotive and aerospace industries. on efficient and large-scale capacity and construction of an automated “We are currently the leader for manufacturing processes, in conjunc- production facility for AM serial metal 3D printing in the aerospace tion with component design that is production. A development and test industry,” stated Dr Thomas Ehm, topologically optimised and uses the environment for the project will also CEO, Premium AEROTEC. “Now, we latest calculation methods.” be established in Varel, Germany. need to continue developing this tech- www.premium-aerotec.com By automating more of the AM nology extensively in order to expand www.eos.info process, the partners hope to gain its application spectrum significantly. www.daimler.com

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Additive Manufacturing transforms RF antenna design

Optisys LLC, Grapevine, Texas, from an AM perspective. We take USA, is a provider of sophisticated, into account the entire system metal additively manufactured functionality, combine many parts into micro-antenna products for high one, and reduce both development High quality performance aerospace and defence and manufacturing lead times to just applications. The company has a few weeks. The result is radically recently completed a project that improved size and weight at lower documents the significant advantages costs,” stated Optisys COO Robert Spherical Powder of employing metal Additive Manufac- Smith. turing to produce such systems. Optisys conducted a profitability The palm-sized, lightweight, one- Antennas are widely employed analysis on how their redesigned piece, AM antenna component in commercial and military aircraft, microwave antennae test piece spacecraft, satellite communications, compared to a legacy design that unmanned aerial vehicles and by is conventionally manufactured. By Optisys can manufacture in a variety ground terminals and land-based optimising the design for AM, Optisys of metals with its Concept Laser troops. Yet the complex radio achieved the following benefits: machine, though for antenna products frequency (RF) components that make aluminium is preferred because of • Part count reduction from a up an antenna system can be large its surface conductivity, light weight, hundred discrete pieces to a one and heavy, characteristics that can corrosion resistance and strength piece integrated assembly impact mobility and performance. under shock and vibration. “Structur- “Companies in the commercial • Weight savings of over 95% ally the products have been tested in and military space are pressured for • Lead time reduced from eleven rigorous vibration environments and shorter lead-times, lighter weight and months to two months they also have the same coefficient of smaller antennas,” explained Clinton thermal expansion (CTE) as wrought • Production costs down by 20-25% Cathey, Optisys CEO. “By combining metals. This also gives them better RF design simulation, mechanical • Non-recurring costs down by 75% stability over temperature than plastic engineering and system optimisation RF components,” explained Smith. focused on AM, we provide metal Other advantages of Additive Part consolidation through AM 3D-printed antenna products at Manufacturing provides a number of downstream greatly reduced size, weight, lead- “When we design multiple antenna benefits as well. “Reducing part count times, part count and cost – with components into a single part, we also reduces assembly and rework. It’s as-good or better RF performance reduce the overall insertion loss of easy to add features to an existing AM than conventionally manufactured the combined parts. And because our design, easier to assemble the finished systems. We’re creating structures antennas are so much smaller this components and, long-term, you have that were simply not possible to also lowers insertion loss dramatically less testing, maintenance and service produce in the past.” despite the higher surface roughness when you have fewer parts,” Smith The test-piece demonstrator of AM build, for similar or even better concluded. Our spherical Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy powder’s properties project involved a complete redesign RF performance than conventional www.optisys.tech of a high-bandwidth, directional assemblies,” stated Smith. www.conceptlaserinc.com make it the material of choice for Additive Manufacturing tracking antenna array for aircraft, known as a Ka-band 4×4 Monopulse Array. Optisys performed every Powder Characteristics Powder size cuts available aspect of the design work in-house and printed the component in Spherical Shape -25/5µm a single piece on their Concept High flowability -45/15µm Laser machine. Manufacturing antenna systems High density -53/20µm via conventional methods such as Extra low oxygen level -105/45µm brazing and plunge EDM is said to be a complex, multistage process that Controlled chemistry -250/90µm can take an average of eight months of development time and three to six more of build time. “Our unique Contact us for more information offering is that we redesign everything The original multi-part antenna assembly

Aerojet Rocketdyne successfully tests Renishaw Solutions Centres... full-scale metal AM thrust chamber lowering the barriers to Additive

Aerojet Rocketdyne, Sacremento, California, USA, has successfully Manufacturing hot-fire tested a full-scale additively manufactured thrust chamber Aerojet Rocketdyne’s full-scale, Additively Manufactured thrust chamber assembly for the RL10 rocket engine. assembly in testing in West Palm Beach, Florida (Courtesy Aerojet Rocketdyne) The thrust chamber was built from a copper alloy using Selective Laser “Aerojet Rocketdyne has made has stated, is the ability to design Melting (SLM) technology. several major upgrades to the RL10 and build advanced features that The successful test follows a to enhance the engine’s performance allow for improved heat transfer. For UK decade of metal AM development and affordability since it first entered many rocket engine applications, this Stuttgart by Aerojet Rocketdyne, which service in the early 1960s,” stated enhanced heat transfer capability has sought to develop Additive Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO enables a more compact and lighter Manufacturing methods for the RL10 and President. “Incorporating AM into engine, which is highly desirable in Shanghai and other propulsion systems to the RL10 is the next logical step as we space launch applications. make them more affordable while look to make the engine even more “This full-scale RL10 thrust taking advantage of the design and affordable for our customers.” chamber test series further performance capabilities that AM “We believe this is the largest proves that Additive Manufacturing Toronto makes possible. copper-alloy thrust chamber ever technology will enable us to continue Chicago Pune The additively manufactured RL10 built with 3D printing and successfully to deliver high performance and thrust chamber will replace the tested,” added Jeff Haynes, Aerojet reliability while substantially reducing current RL10C-1 model design, the Rocketdyne’s Additive Manufacturing component production costs,” company stated. The RL10C-1 uses a Program Manager. “Producing explained RL10 Program Director complex array of drawn, hydroformed aerospace-quality components with Christine Cooley. “Now that we have stainless steel tubes that are brazed Additive Manufacturing is challenging. validated our approach with full-scale together to form a thrust chamber. Producing them with a high-thermal- testing of a 3D printed injector and The new chamber design is made conductivity copper alloy using SLM copper thrust chamber, we are up of only two primary copper parts technology is even more difficult. positioned to qualify a new generation and reportedly takes just under a Infusing this technology into full-scale of RL10 engines.” month to print using SLM technology, rocket engines is truly transformative Aerojet Rocketdyne is applying reducing overall lead time by several as it opens up new design possibilities AM technology to many of its other months. The part count reduction for our engineers and paves the way products, including the RS-25 engines is also significant as it reduces for a new generation of low-cost intended for deep space exploration complexity and cost when compared rocket engines.” and the company’s new AR1 booster with traditionally manufactured RL10 Another key benefit provided by engine. thrust chambers. Additive Manufacturing, the company www.rocket.com

reduction, networking and automation Renishaw Solutions Centres - your pathway to innovative AM products VBN Components to showcase metal and their potential impact on the commercial vehicle sector. Experts AM wear resistant materials for Renishaw Solutions Centres provide a secure development environment in which you can build your knowledge and confidence will present their forecasts on how using metal AM technology. commercial vehicle transmissions the current market developments will affect engineering and what new Equipped with the latest metal AM, machining and metrology systems staffed with knowledgeable engineers, a Solutions VBN Components, Uppsala, Sweden, Chief Technical Officer, Materials technologies are emerging to tackle Centre offers you a fast and accessible way to rapidly deploy this exciting technology in your business. will present its latest technology Science and Additive Manufacturing, these changes. Renishaw will support you throughout your investigation and business case development process, helping you to optimise your for Additive Manufacturing of VBN Components AB, will discuss Visitors to the conference will design, build your confidence in the process, and gain the evidence you need to make investment decisions. high-strength wear resistant wear resistant and high strength also have the opportunity to attend materials at the ‘Transmissions in materials and look at cutting tools the parallel events “Powertrains in For more information visit www.renishaw.com/solutionscentres Commercial Vehicles’ conference and functional prototypes. Vehicles” and “Control Solutions for organised by VDI Wissensforum As part of VDI’s larger ‘Drivetrains Transmissions” free of charge. in Bonn, Germany, July 5-6, 2017. for Vehicles’ congress, the event will www.vdi-wissensforum.de

The presentation by Ulrik Beste, focus on the growing trends of CO2 www.vbncomponents.se Renishaw plc Brooms Road, Stone Business Park, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 0SH, United Kingdom T +44 (0)1785 285000 F +44 (0)1785 285001 E [email protected] www.renishaw.com 40 Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2017 © 2017 Inovar Communications Ltd Vol. 3 No. 2

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SLM Solutions and BeamIT Metals Additive agree multi machine deal SLM Solutions Group AG, headquartered in Lübeck, Germany, has signed a long-term cooperation agree- Manufacturing ment with BeamIT S.p.a., Fornovo di Taro, Italy, which includes the sale of fifteen SLM Solutions multi-laser for Aerospace machines to the Italian company. BeamIT is one of the leading contract manufacturers for the automotive, biomedical, aeronautic and & Autosport aerospace industries in Italy and already has SLM Solutions machines in use. The deal, which runs through to December 31, 2019, will see the company Nickel superalloys including: purchase ten SLM 280 2.0 machines as well as five CM247LC, Inconel 625, quad laser SLM 500 machines. Inconel 718, Titanium alloys, “We have been working very closely with BeamIT for some years now. Italy is a market with huge potential Maraging steel, Stainless steels and we are greatly looking forward to stepping up this cooperation,” stated Uwe Bögershausen, CFO of SLM Solutions Group AG. The cooperation between SLM Solutions and BeamIT concerns the joint development and testing of various parameters for setting the machines when using various metal powders. “We have been using the machines of the SLM Solutions Group for some time now and find the quality and the advantages of the multi-laser technology compelling, especially regarding productivity, build- part-costs and the high quality of parts. SLM Solutions systems play a very important role for us in further optimising our productivity and the build-part-costs,” added Mauro Antolotti, founder and President of BeamIT S.p.a. The signing of the cooperation agreement is said 2017 CAPACITY to represent an important step for SLM Solutions toward leveraging the opportunities that arise from the 10 × EOS 250×250mm growing use of Additive Manufacturing technology in 2 × EOS 400×400mm the automotive as well as biomedical, aeronautic and aerospace sectors. www.slm-solutions.com www.beam-it.eu AS9100 Rev C & Major Approvals

+44 (0)1905 732160 BeamIT have agreed to purchase ten SLM 280 2.0 www.materialssolutions.co.uk machines as well as five SLM 500 machines equipped with a quad laser system (above)

Datasheet on World PM2018: Powder Metallurgy quantitative shape industry to meet in China analysis of metal The 2018 World Conference on giving a detailed overview of the latest powder Powder Metallurgy, World PM2018, developments in PM. organised by China Powder In addition to the conference there LPW Technology Ltd, Runcorn, Metallurgy Alliance (CPMA), will take will be an exhibition held over four UK, has released a new laboratory place September 16 - 20, 2018, in days. In excess of 200 international services datasheet examining the Beijing, China. The event marks the exhibitors are expected to participate, role of morphology in metal powder first time that the World PM series providing the ideal opportunity to characterisation. The datasheet, titled has been held in China and will network with material and equipment ‘Quantitative shape analysis of metal give those from outside the country suppliers, part producers and powder samples by morphology’, is an insight into PM, MIM and AM end-users. available via the company’s website. developments in one of the fastest The World PM2018 exhibition “This datasheet explains the growing economies in the world. is being managed on behalf of methodology of quantitative shape The conference will cover the the organising committee by IRIS analysis and discusses the benefits full range of Powder Metallurgy Exhibitions Service Co.,Ltd, organiser of understanding powder morphology topics, ranging from metal powder of the annual PM China exhibition in the metal AM process,” stated Lisa production and technology, series held in Shanghai each Spring. Holman, LPW’s Quality Engineer. powder compaction, sintering and Exhibition sales enquiries should “The testing we undertake delivers a post-processing to Metal Injection be addressed to Maggie Song, comprehensive set of results, giving Moulding, cemented carbides, porous [email protected]. Those an effective overview of the powder’s materials, Additive Manufacturing wishing to submit abstracts should characteristics that adds assurance and the design and simulation of PM note the submission deadline of about condition and consistency.” parts. The conference is expected October 15, 2017. www.lpwtechnology.com to include over 500 presentations, www.worldpm2018.com

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Carnegie Mellon University develops machine vision for metal Additive Manufacturing

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University’s Depart- ment of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, have developed a process known as ‘machine vision technology’ that is said to autonomously identify and sort metal AM powder types Machine vision for metal AM can autonomously identify better than humans. The system, reports the university, and sort metal AM powder types will enable machine users to accurately test and qualify printed metal parts for any number of applications properties, such as strength, fatigue life and toughness. including aerospace and medical devices. Importantly, the machine vision approach is autonomous, “In traditional manufacturing, parts are often qualified objective and repeatable. through destructive testing. A company might produce Holm and her team applied computer vision and multiple parts and physically test them to see how they machine learning methods to eight different commercial hold up to stress and fatigue. However, that costs a lot of feedstock powders. They found that the machine vision time and money, so it should be avoided in AM in order system captures more about metal AM powder than to preserve the on-demand nature of 3D printing,” stated is possible with normal manual measurement. It can Elizabeth Holm, Professor of Materials Science and measure important information such as how big particles Engineering, and primary investigator of this research. are, how particles group together, the surface roughness By training a computer to autonomously identify and of particles and the shape of particles. The team also sort powders, Holm and her team can recognise whether found that the technology can tell metal powder types or not a metal powder has the microstructural qualities apart even where humans cannot. associated with the production of a part with desired www.cmu.edu

Methods 3D and Markforged partner to offer range of AM solutions

Methods 3D, Inc., Sudbury, Massachusetts, USA, recently announced the formation of a partnership with Markforged, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Methods 3D will provide sales, service and support for Markforged’s line of Additive Manufacturing systems. The partnership is said to expand North American manufacturers’ access to both companies’ advanced AM solutions. “Markforged printers are an ideal complement to our extensive suite of Additive Manufacturing solutions,” stated Jamie Hanson, COO, Methods 3D. “With Markforged, we will significantly enhance our customers’ production efficiencies by enabling them to quickly create tools, jigs and fixtures for myriad industrial applications. Our deep experience in metalworking manufacturing combined with Markforged’s expertise in high-strength parts is a perfect match for meeting GPC 13/300B Retort Furnace today’s demanding manufacturing challenges.” The Markforged partnership will also enable Methods Machine Tools’ Automation Group to design, integrate and provide unlimited solutions for its CNC machining automation systems with the ability to print unique end of arm tooling components for robots, jigs, fixtures and more. www.markforged.com www.methodsmachine.com Reliable Heat Treatment Opportunities for Additive of 3D Laser Sintered Parts Manufacturing in submarines

Norsk Titanium AS, Oslo, Norway, has announced it is CARBOLITE GERO produces GPC chamber exploring industrial cooperation opportunities with the furnaces with A105 retort designs for heat Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems following treatment of Direct Metal Laser Sintering the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for (DMLS) parts in inert atmospheres. industrial cooperation supporting Thyssenkrupp’s effort to replace four Ula class submarines currently in service n AMS 2750E Class 1 compliant with the Norwegian Navy by modern submarines based n on the HDW class 212A design. O2 levels to below 30 ppm As titanium is an important material for this new n Unrivalled temperature uniformity submarine generation, Norsk Titanium’s Rapid Plasma and repeatability Deposition™ technology is said to offer the potential to n provide significant cost and schedule advantages. “The Models for 1 to 4 bed-plates collaboration with Thyssenkrupp constitutes a significant opportunity for Norsk Titanium and complements our achievements in the aerospace sector,” stated Norsk Titanium President & Chief Executive Officer Warren M Boley, Jr. “We look forward to working closely with Thyssenkrupp to identify and further develop joint Visit us at Stand #86 business opportunities that benefit both our customers and Norway.” www.carbolite-gero.com www.norsktitanium.com www.thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com

Sciaky to provide multiple Toolcraft announces plans Electron Beam AM systems for new AM centre

Sciaky, Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA, has reached an Toolcraft, Georgensgmünd, Germany, has announced agreement to provide multiple Electron Beam Additive further equipment investment and plans to construct a Manufacturing (EBAM®) systems to an American-based dedicated Metal Laser Centre with a production area of metal AM parts supplier. The supplier will serve as a 800 m2. The company has also purchased a new TRUMPF turnkey parts bureau for many industries, including TruPrint 3000 Additive Manufacturing machine to comple- aerospace, defence, automotive and oil & gas. ment its range of systems from Concept Laser and EOS. “Sciaky is excited to further expand our one-of- The TruPrint 3000 is used for the series production of a-kind, large-scale metal AM technology with the complex, metal components. It is said to offer consider- marketplace,” stated Bob Phillips, Vice President of able flexibility in terms of the size, number of parts and Marketing for Sciaky, Inc. “We are also proud that geometry of the components it is used to produce. An two American companies are working together in the interchangeable cylinder principle reduces set-up times, Additive Manufacturing market to provide jobs for increases productivity and machine utilisation rate, and American families, without burdening the American ensures a clean, powder-free production run. taxpayer.” “We decided to purchase the TruPrint machine in order Delivery of the first round of Sciaky EBAM systems to spur on developments in the area of Additive Manufac- is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2017. The turing,” explained Christoph Hauck, Managing Director of systems claim to be the most widely scalable metal AM Toolcraft. solution in the industry in terms of work envelope and Daniel Lichtenstein, Head of Sales and Market Develop- can produce parts ranging from 203 mm (8 in) to 5.79 ment at TRUMPF’s Additive Manufacturing division added, meters (19 ft) in length. EBAM is reportedly the fastest “We are delighted at Toolcraft’s forward-looking decision deposition process in the metal Additive Manufacturing to implement and help drive forward the use of Additive market, with gross deposition rates ranging from 3.18- Manufacturing in industry by purchasing the TruPrint 3000 9.07 kg (7-20 lbs) of metal per hour. with its industrial part and powder management features.” www.sciaky.com www.toolcraft.de

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MPIF seeks to form trade association for the metal AM industry

The Metal Powder Industries Federation (MPIF), Princeton, New Jersey, USA, has announced its intention to form a trade association for the metal Additive Manufacturing industry. An organisational meeting was held at the AMPM2017 conference on June 16 at the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas. Manufacturers of metal AM products, precursor materials and equipment manufacturers that support the metal AM industry were invited to attend. As with existing MPIF affiliated associations, the tentatively named Association for Metal Additive Manu- facturing’s (AMAM) main mission would be to increase the visibility and stature of metal AM within the industrial community and, in the process, enhance the metal AM industry’s opportunities for continued growth. The MPIF How safe is your AM operation? stated that this approach was being proposed because: Materials. Equipment. Facilities. Staﬀ. • Metal AM represents a natural relationship to Powder Metallurgy (PM) technology; Take a proactive approach to • MPIF is already well established as the organisation evaluating and managing the safety of representing the worldwide interests of virtually all facets of PM technology; your AM investment with the recognized • MPIF has in place associations with combined parts manufacturing and supplier-base organisations; leader in safety. • Overseas members recognise and endorse MPIF as a highly respected international trade organisation. Of all organisational options, the trade association is UL AM said to have the greatest credibility and acceptance as being representative of an industry and its technology. By becoming a trade division of MPIF, AMAM will benefit from Facility Safety Services the well-established reputation and high regard with which this organisation is held by the US government and the engineering public. www.mpif.org

Senvol labelled ‘Cool Vendor’

Senvol, New York, USA, reports that it has been selected as a ‘Cool Vendor’ in Additive Manufacturing by Gartner Inc. To be selected for such distinction, the company stated, the vendor must be considered innovative or transformative for products, services or initiatives. “Senvol is cool because its embedded knowledge of Additive Manufacturing gives designers and engineers unprecedented choices to design parts that can deliver much more value to customers at lower cost,” stated Marc Halpern, Research VP of Engineering and Design UL.COM/AM Technologies at Gartner. “Senvol may revolutionise [email protected] engineering design practices as the knowledge of 3D @ULAdditiveMfg printable materials in its software and databases acceler- UL and the UL logo are trademarks of UL LLC © 2017 ates manufacturers’ confidence in industrial 3D printing.” www.senvol.com

nTopology Element

FIT and Caterpillar join to focus on aluminium and titanium AM

FIT AG, Lupburg, Germany, and Caterpillar Inc, Peoria, Illinois, USA, have announced a strategic alliance agreement that focuses on the design and Additive Manufacturing FIT AG and Caterpillar will focus on aluminium and titanium AM parts of aluminium and titanium parts. By joining Caterpillar’s product-specific knowledge and FIT’s additive design expertise, the new alliance aims to take advantage of the benefits of Additive Manufacturing in the heavy equipment manufacturing sector. It was stated that the that the new alliance will complement ongoing work in Caterpillar’s Additive Manufacturing Factory and strengthen FIT’s commitment to the industrial equipment market. “We are thrilled to enter into a strategic alliance with Caterpillar. Caterpillar is a world leader in Albert Klein, CFO FIT AG (left) and Ken Gray, Chairman FIT America Inc. (right) many markets, which will benefit greatly from Additive Manufacturing. FIT expands US activities with new Peoria, Illinois, USA. John Baliotti, However, this requires innovative Boston facility Vice President of US Sales since technologies and new thinking FIT also announced it will expand its 2016, will support Gray’s transition to combined with experience and US activities with a move to a new Chairman. deep know-how. Our companies facility in Boston. The company’s “FIT’s additive design and complement each other with their US activities were first established manufacturing capabilities are second respective strengths,” stated Carl in 2014, with the launch of FIT to none, but the business model is Fruth, CEO of FIT AG. West Inc. in Santa Clara, California, even more intriguing. Partnerships to “Caterpillar has a long history USA. The fully owned subsidiary, accelerate industrial clients toward of creating innovative products renamed FIT America Corp., will now their own additive independence are designed to fit the needs of our move to Southborough in Boston, what I am most excited about. Our customers and entering into a Massachusetts, USA. aim is for additive to be a mainstream strategic alliance with a leader in To coincide with the move, former tool for US industrial manufacturers - Additive Manufacturing will help Caterpillar Inc. Director of Innovation and soon,” stated Gray. further that tradition,” added Stacey Kenneth D Gray will take over as “We are delighted to welcome DelVecchio, Caterpillar Additive the new Chairman of FIT America Ken to the FIT Management Team Manufacturing Project Manager. Corp. Gray’s 30-year career at and, with the establishment of our “Not only will Caterpillar now have Caterpillar encompassed a diverse first factory in the United States, we access to FIT AG’s cutting-edge range of global leadership positions are expecting a major market in the technologies in Additive Manufac- in product, operations, marketing, USA for FIT’s Additive Manufacturing turing but this alliance will also dealer development and engineering, capabilities and have now established help accelerate our adoption of 3D reported FIT. His products and a management team and structure printing.” teams were featured in Forbes, Inc. to develop more partnerships It was stated that the strategic Magazine, Fast Company Magazine, with US clients and make further alliance between FIT AG and and Crane’s Business. He is an investments,” Fruth added. Caterpillar will have an initial Edison and Platts Global Energy www.caterpillar.com three-year term and will evolve to Award winner and holds Bachelor’s www.fit-america.com the next step based on the success and Master’s Degrees in Mechanical www.fit.technology of the alliance. Engineering from Bradley University,

Sievgen partners with Inert on metal powder handling solutions for AM

Sievgen, Mapledurwell, Hampshire, to additive manufacturers, now UK, and Inert, Amesbury, we can offer them more ways to Massachusetts, USA, have improve their AM processes with announced a new partnership for the Sievgen in our portfolio.” the supply of metal powder handling “For us the US is one of the key equipment to the US Additive markets where AM is taking off,” Manufacturing market. The two added David Buckley, Sievgen’s companies will work together to Product Manager. “As a company promote the Sievgen 04 automated we are investing heavily in the sieving station to companies AM sector and, as an established working with powders used in partner, Inert are well placed to the metal Additive Manufacturing unlock both sales and market process. knowledge to help feed back into “It was a win-win situation,” future development, something The Sievgen 04 automated sieving stated Daniel Clay, Inert President. that we see as vitally important in station (Courtesy Sievgen) “We met with Farleygreene any partner that we work with in [Sievgen’s parent company] at last this sector.” allows users to safely work with, year’s TCT show in Birmingham According to Clay, the high cost weigh and measure, reclaim and and that initial meeting led to and corrosive properties of metal transfer metal powders to and from discussions about how our two powders are some of the biggest AM machines. That saves time and companies can benefit from what hurdles additive manufacturers money,” he explained. the other has to offer. We’ve been face. “The Sievgen is hermetically www.inert-am.com providing inert gas enclosures sealed like our glove boxes, and www.sievgen.com

DUNLEE 3D PRINTED PURE TUNGSTEN PARTS FOR INDUSTRIAL AND MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

Via Powder Bed Laser Melting we are able to seamlessly accommodate to individual customer needs for both existing and new products. With our in-house technical know-how we support you in optimizing your product design for additive manufacturing. Our 8 year exclusive focus on pure tungsten 3D printing ensures superb accuracy, reliability, product ﬂ exibility and quality. We strive to create added value for the Metal Additive Manufacturing industry by remaining highly focused on innovative product and process development. Powder Bed Laser Melting offers great freedom of design and facilitates geometric complexity and ﬂ exibility. Therefore part variations are endless.

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SpaceX schedules first flights with AM rocket engine parts

SpaceX has announced plans to fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon on its Crew Dragon (Dragon Version 2) spacecraft late in 2018, following an automatic non-crewed flight to the International Space SuperDraco thrusters in testing (Courtesy SpaceX) Station in late 2017. This follows the completion of development testing of Playing a key role in the Dragon the SuperDraco’s thrusters were SpaceX’s SuperDraco rocket engines spacecraft’s Launch Abort System successfully fired 27 times through in 2015. (LAS), the SuperDraco’s engine design various thrust cycles. Elon Musk’s space-tourism venture is vital to the mission’s success. In SpaceX is currently under designed the engines using metal the event of a launch failure, the LAS agreement with NASA to develop Additive Manufacturing technology in is designed to safely abort astronauts refinements to the Dragon spacecraft order to cut down on cost and waste from the capsule. The engine, to ensure maximum safety for crew and increase the overall flexibility of containing metal AM parts, can be members. The complex design and the production process. Each engine’s throttled from 20–100% of thrust and successful testing of the SuperDraco combustion chamber is fabricated restarted multiple times, ensuring thrusters helps to ensure that these from Inconel super alloy on an EOS the safe landing or splashdown stringent criteria will be met. metal AM machine. of capsule crew. In recent tests, www.spacex.com/dragon

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RP Platform, we’ve seen over and RP Platform releases email system over again that email integration is integration for AM workflow a huge gap in most AM companies’ workflow management processes, management with no solution available that offered the functionality or versatility that RP Platform, London, UK, has Additive Manufacturing operations. AM workflows demand. Given the launched a feature to fully integrate its Using the new feature, the company percentage of customer communica- Additive Manufacturing software with stated, users will be able to better tion that now takes place via email, the most widely-used email systems, integrate their email systems with this will prove a stumbling block for including Gmail, Microsoft Office 365 their wider workflow management many AM companies, particularly and Exchange. The feature was rolled processes, with no additional admin during this period of rapid growth and out as part of the company’s most required of their teams. When any innovation the sector is enjoying. recent software update, following a customer requests are received via “The new feature has gone live and long period of development, testing email, a file will be created auto- is already available to all our clients, and consultation with the platform’s matically within the user’s system to as is the case with all updates we roll longstanding users. According to RP capture all future project communica- out,” he continued. “Going forward, Platform, the goal of the update is tions, with no manual effort required. it will be offered as a standard part to empower Additive Manufacturing This is expected to help maintain a of our product for all new users. companies to better manage customer higher degree of efficiency, transpar- We’re confident this type of strategic requests and communications and ency and consistency throughout the automation will benefit all areas of make more effective use of their time entire project lifecycle, from the initial AM operations, leaving companies and resources. quote to delivery of the printed part. perfectly positioned to deliver a The update is the latest stage of “This new feature has been a long better customer journey and uncover RP Platform’s ongoing work to bring time in development,” commented innovative new solutions to the together all the project states and Keyvan Karimi, Company Founder sector’s evolving challenges.” communication channels involved in & CEO. “Ever since we launched www.rpplatform.com

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Metalysis opens Materials Discovery difficult, or too exotic and costly. The UK stands to benefit from our Centre to focus on high performance world-leading, transformational metal powders for AM process and I am very excited to seeing what the coming decade will Metalysis, UK, has announced the Materials Discovery Centre and bring for Metalysis.” opening of a new facility, the Materials increasing production capacity at its Following its expansion, Metalysis Discovery Centre, at the Advanced Materials Manufacture Centre, also will employ at least one hundred Manufacturing Park in Rotherham, in Yorkshire, where the company says people across its South Yorkshire South Yorkshire. Metalysis will carry it is completing its ‘Generation 4’ sites and is now recruiting for staff, out bespoke, commercial R&D technological expansion, taking with talks ongoing to create local projects to produce exotic metal production capability to new levels. apprenticeships adding to its opera- powders for high-performance alloys Completion of ‘Generation 4’ expan- tions, R&D, analytical services and for AM applications at the new centre. sion will enable ‘Generation 5’, which administration business functions. Metalysis has reportedly invested Metalysis anticipates commencing Metalysis will also continue to create around £10 million in opening the this calendar year and which it work placement opportunities and expects will offer manufacturing support school career activities for options for thousands of tonnes per science, technology, engineering and annum of high-value metal alloy maths students from local secondary powders. schools, having last year created four “We are very proud to be part of positions. the UK’s fourth industrial revolution,” In March, rare earth miner stated Douglas Caster, Metalysis Mkango Resources announced Chairman, “and we do so with the formation of a partnership responsibility and optimism. We have with Metalysis for a commercial Company executives, researchers, a truly unique, patented technology R&D programme to develop metal scientists, politicians and financiers that can produce highly desired Additively Manufactured rare earth visited the Materials Discovery metals and novel alloys which have magnets for electric vehicles. Centre’s opening (Courtesy Metalysis) historically been considered too www.metalysis.com

New metal Additive Manufacturing dust Concurrent invests collection system in metal AM

Ruwac, based in Holyoke, MA, USA, process stops contained materials Concurrent Technologies Corporation is a worldwide provider of industrial from finding any ignition source that (CTC) has announced the investment of vacuum solutions. The company may be introduced into the vacuum, $1.2 million in Additive Manufacturing states that its new NA35 Series is the guaranteeing a safe, explosion-proof equipment at its facility in Johnstown, only immersion separator available work environment. Pennsylvania, USA. According to the on the market featuring a complete Rewac reports that newly designed company, the new equipment includes self-contained vacuum system. as part of the NA35 Series is the NA35 a VRC Metal Systems Gen III Max Cold AM environments using explosive or HD-110. This immersion separation Spray system and an AMBIT™ Hybrid impact sensitive materials that may vacuum features a stainless steel AM multi-task system (installed in a contain an ignition source, such as liquid discharge valve located beneath HAAS VF 11 multi-axis machine tool). aluminium or titanium, will not only the main housing that acts as the With these additions, CTC states benefit from eliminating the risk of an primary source in releasing filtered it can offer clients three metal explosion, but keeping workspaces contents, eliminating any heavy processes: cold spray, hybrid AM, clean in the process. lifting required for emptying out of and powder bed fusion-laser. These The system collects explosive the equation. Counterbalanced heavy processes can also be merged to materials entering the vacuum and duty casters and its two-stack design provide customised solutions. immediately mixes them in a turbu- provide a maximum portability while “We are applying our 30 year history lent liquid bath. From there, moving the system’s external sight glass in metals and metal processing to be air and liquid are rapidly forced remains in place. For the collection of an all-encompassing service provider onto the materials, submerging and smaller amounts of metal AM dust, for AM solutions,” stated Edward J neutralising them in the process the CV-NA7 immersion separation Sheehan, Jr, CTC’s President and Chief in the vacuum’s hydrophobic and vacuum is also available. Executive Officer. oleophobic water filter system. This www.ruwac.com www.ctc.com

Fuel Injection Assembly Material: FS AlSi10Mg System: FS271M

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AMERICAS FS271M FS121M Farsoon Americas Add: 2590 Oakmont Drive, Suite 620 The FS271M’s dynamic beam focus and adjustable The FS121M’s small beam focus enables Round Rock, Tx 78665 spot size work together to produce parts with improved the production of parts with enhanced surface finish while open parameters and intuitive detail and finish. Combined with a compact Tel: (512) 387-7224 support generation software provides the user with build area, the FS121M is the best choice Email: [email protected] unparalleled control. for dental, jewelry, and exotic alloys. Web: www.farsoon.com

University of Waterloo receives funding boost for Multi-Scale AM Lab

The University of Waterloo, Canada, reports that it has received cash and in-kind funding of nearly CAD $27 million for its Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab, including $8.9 million from the Federal Economic The University’s Multi-Scale AM Lab (Courtesy UoW) Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). Combined with $6.2 million from the Government role as a leader in Additive Manufacturing, innovation and of Ontario, this is reportedly the largest-ever government strategic partnerships with the private sector,” he stated. investment in AM at a Canadian university. The lab aims “Today’s announcement demonstrates our commitment to to help Canadian companies tap into the potential of AM, supporting innovation, which translates into creating jobs while also advancing the technology itself through funded and opportunities for middle-class Canadians.” research programmes. “The Government of Canada is committed to supporting “Additive Manufacturing is poised to fundamentally innovation and competitiveness on a global scale,” change the way things are made,” explained Feridun added Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science Hamdullahpur, President and Vice-Chancellor at Waterloo. and Economic Development, and Minister responsible “Fuelled by a culture of innovation and backed by broad for FedDev Ontario. “This means investing in research expertise in the advanced manufacturing sector, we look and development to place Canada at the leading edge forward to playing a key role with our partners in unlocking of disruptive manufacturing technologies. It also means the potential of this exciting technology.” supporting skills training for manufacturing jobs now and Bardish Chagger, MP for Waterloo and Minister of in the future.” Small Business and Tourism, visited the university campus “The Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab at the to announce FedDev Ontario’s contribution. “We are proud University of Waterloo is an innovative initiative that aligns to support the University of Waterloo in continuing its perfectly with our province’s innovation strategy,” stated

INFO: VDW – Generalkommissariat EMO Hannover 2017 Verein Deutscher Werkzeugmaschinenfabriken e.V. Corneliusstraße 4 · 60325 Frankfurt am Main · GERMANY Tel. +49 69 756081-0 · Fax +49 69 756081-74 [email protected] · www.emo-hannover.de

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Reza Moridi, Ontario’s Minister of Research, Innovation and Science. “It is key to ensuring Ontario’s competitiveness when it comes to the manufacturing sector, which is an integral part of our province’s economy.” The Waterloo lab is focused on the development of next-generation AM to process metals through the use Simufact Additive of new sensors, quality-assurance software and machine intelligence. A major patented innovation is the fabrica- helps you produce tion of smart components by the Additive Manufacturing of sensors and their embedment into metal parts. Experts at the lab will work directly with companies Metal AM parts to develop high-value products using AM processes, equipping them to either do their own production or outsource it. Building on expertise and patented technology developed at Waterloo in the last 17 years, research will involve at least 14 professors and dozens of engineers, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students and co-op students. When fully equipped, the Waterloo lab will reportedly be one of the ten largest university-based AM facilities in the world. Researchers will also collaborate with peer institutions with top AM labs, including those in Germany, the United States, England and Singapore. msam-uwaterloo.ca

GE Additive to open German Customer Experience Centre

GE Additive, based in Boston, USA, is establishing a new Customer Experience Centre in Munich, Germany. Launched with an investment of some $15 million, the new centre will adjoin GE’s Global Research Centre (GRC) in Munich and is expected to be operational by year’s end. According to GE, the centre will allow current and ptimize and simulate M potential customers to experience AM component design and production first-hand. Up to 50 GE Additive processes quickly and precisely employees will be based at the centre, including techni- Determine and reduce ﬁ nal part distortion cians and engineers specialising in additive design and Minimize residual stress production. Around ten additive machines from Concept Laser, Germany and Arcam EBM, Sweden (in both of Optimize build-up orientation and support structures which GE has majority ownership) will be installed, Condition the part after heat treatment, base plate/ operating on GE’s cloud-based Predix platform and GE support structure removal, and Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) Edge devices. Recalculate pre-deformed part geometry GE’s Munich centre will augment the customer training and support centres within both Arcam and Concept Laser facilities. As with the Arcam and Concept Laser sites, the Munich centre will also operate as a distribution centre for critical spare parts. “The concept of customer experience centres is an integral part of GE Additive’s strategy to expose and engrain the additive technology to manufacturers 20-22 June 2017 worldwide,” explained Robert Griggs, General Manager of Messe Erfurt Want simufactcom/ Customer Experience Centres for GE Additive. “We expect Hall 2 to learn to announce the second GE Customer Experience Centre Booth 2-114 more? later this year, with others to follow.” www.geadditive.com

西安欧中材料科技有限公司 Fathom adds Desktop Metal Sino-Euro Materials Technologies of Xi’an Co.,Ltd. to expand machine portfolio

Additive Manufacturing Specialized in Powder solutions and service provider Fathom, based in Oakland, California, USA, has announced the signing of a partner agreement with Desktop Metal. Fathom states that it will adopt Desktop Metal’s technologies as part of its in-house manufacturing solutions and managed DM Studio System (Courtesy services to further develop Desktop Metal) its focus on changing the way products are designed and manufactured. “Fathom is very excited to partner with Desktop Metal to help bring a lower barrier-of-entry solution for metal additive technologies to a broader engineering and manufacturing market,” stated Rich Stump, Co-Founder and Principal at Fathom. “With current metal 3D printing equipment, it is cost prohibitive to 3D print metal prototype SMT SS-PREP Powder parts. Desktop Metal has introduced a solution, the Studio System, which will allow designers and engineers to cost · CP Titanium effectively produce metal prototypes.” “We are excited to be partnering with Fathom both as · Ti-6Al-4V Grade 5 & 23 a manufacturing service centre and a sales partner as we look to broaden the adoption of our metal 3D printing · BT20(TA15) systems,” added Ric Fulop, CEO and Co-Founder of Desktop Metal. “Rich Stump and Michelle Mihevc have · In718,EP741NP,Hastelloy built an incredible team who will be integral in expanding market opportunities and driving the growth of our · Co-Cr-W,Co-Cr-Mo customer base across diverse industries.” “Fathom and Desktop Metal share a passion for additive · Specialty steel 17-4PH, AF1410 technologies, as well as a similar vision for finding unique processes that change the way products are designed and manufactured today— so when we heard about what Powder characterization was in development at Desktop Metal, we knew we had to be involved as one of their first customers and now · Spherical · Satellite-free as a go-to-market partner,” stated Michelle Mihevc, Co-Founder and Principal at Fathom. “We feel very strongly that by providing this solution, one that is both · Non-hollow · High Flow Rate office-friendly and accessible at a lower cost, there will be immediate growth in the adoption of metal 3D printing. Our team already has plans for R&D exploration into furthering application innovations for this technology. For www.c-semt.com example, we aim to leverage our expertise in 3D printed [email protected] tooling to develop a process that achieves more robust tools even faster and more economically.” [email protected] “We help companies focus on how a product should function rather than how it’s made, designing from the Tel:+86 29 86261802 outside-in, to drive greater innovation and push the limits of manufacturing,” added Stump. www.studioFathom.com www.desktopmetal.com

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world to the point where they can European Space Agency develops take a decision whether to adopt this new research centre for Additive technology or not. If the decision is positive, then they can mature Manufacturing the technology further and even in non-space markets and applications, The European Space Agency reports areas,” he stated. “As the UK National counting on the support and expertise that it is establishing a new ‘one-stop Centre for Additive Manufacturing, we of this centre of excellence.” shop’, the ESA Additive Manufacturing are in a unique position to work with Europe’s Vega small launcher will Benchmarking Centre (AMBC), for ESA as their Additive Manufacturing be the first project to make use of the research and development concerning Benchmarking Centre and provide the Centre. “By evolving Vega over time, Additive Manufacturing for space. space sector with access to state-of- we aim to hone its competitiveness, The new centre is being developed in the-art capability and understanding increase its flexibility and reduce partnership with the Manufacturing to support industrial exploitation.” recurring costs,” stated Giorgio Technology Centre (MTC), Coventry, “The ESA’s Directorate of Tumino, overseeing Vega’s develop- UK, home to the UK National Centre Technology, Engineering and Quality ment programme for ESA. “We’re for Additive Manufacturing. The MTC’s has called for the creation of a cooperating with AMBC to investigate research organisation will manage the detailed roadmap for the harnessing the use of 3D printing for rocket new centre, which the ESA states will of 3D printing to the space sector,” engine thrust chambers for Vega’s provide a simple and easy way for ESA explained Torben Henriksen, Head of upper stage, potentially allowing for a projects and high-tech companies to ESA’s Mechanical Department. “We’ve significant simplification in production investigate the potential of Additive been guided to set up this centre, with and reduced costs.” Manufacturing for their work. customers and industrial partners The new facility maintains a broad According to the ESA, the MTC questioning us about the best way portfolio of materials, machines and offers access to the latest state-of- to try out 3D printing for the first post-processing options, which will the-art AM capabilities, allowing time and test out the maturity of the enable AMBC to print a variety of test prototype parts to be produced and results for their specific needs and hardware, using polymers, metal then assessed in terms of their applications.” and ceramic 3D printers. Follow-up suitability for specific applications. Dr Tommaso Ghidini, head of testing, including detailed failure Dave Brackett, Technology Manager Structures, Mechanisms and investigations, will supply customers for Additive Manufacturing at the MTC, Materials Division, added: “To be with a fuller understanding of the believes ESA’s exploration of the use very clear: with this centre, we don’t strengths and weaknesses of their of AM will be beneficial for the tech- want to compete with industry; on chosen AM method, along with advice nology: “This is a brilliant opportunity the contrary, the idea is that ESA on future improvements. to further the technology in one of the missions and interested companies www.esa.in most testing and dynamic application can investigate this new engineering www.the-mtc.org

exclusively. The company provides Superior 3D Solutions signs seller a range of services highlighting the agreement with Markforged for Metal X Markforged line, including weekly ‘lunch and learns’. It also provides Superior 3D Solutions, Rancho “The level of strength the on-site demonstrations. Cucamonga, California, USA, Markforged system is able to “Superior 3D Solutions has a has signed an agreement produce is amazing,” stated Shayne deep knowledge of the 3D printing with Markforged, Cambridge, Denston, President of Superior 3D industry, enabling them to provide Massachusetts, to sell the company’s Solutions. “Adding metals to the critical insights to their customers,” new Metal X Additive Manufacturing line-up puts Markforged at the commented Matt Katzman, Director system. Superior 3D Solutions front of the pack in the 3D printing of Worldwide Sales, Markforged. currently sells and provides service industry. We are very fortunate to “They have a strong track record of for the entire Markforged line of team up with Markforged and excited helping companies in many different Additive Manufacturing systems, to demonstrate the game-changing industries receive the maximum including the Onyx series, Mark Two capabilities this technology has to value from their Markforged and Mark X. The Metal X is designed help advance design, engineering printers.” to print 17-4 stainless steel and and manufacturing.” www.superior3Dsolutions.com several other materials including Superior 3D Solutions tested 20 www.markforged.com aluminium, tool steels, titanium and different printers before deciding Inconel are in beta testing. to sell Markforged’s line of printers

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MATSUURA Europe GmbH MATSUURA Machinery Ltd MATSUURA Machinery GmbH Gee Road Whitwick Business Park Berta-Cramer-Ring 21 D-65205 Coalville Leicestershire Weisbaden-Delkenheim GERMANY LE67 4NH ENGLAND Tel: +49 (0) 6122 78 03 - 0 Tel: +44 (0) 1530 511400 Fax: +49 (0) 6122 78 03 -33 Fax: +44 (0) 1530 511440 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.matsuura.de Website: www.matsuura.co.uk Hall 27 - Stand E55

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MPP Ltd Renishaw displays additively PM Solutions by Design manufactured implants for craniomaxillofacial applications

Renishaw recently attended the the collaborative project also draws International 3D Printing in Medicine on the academic and industrial Conference in Mainz, Germany, May expertise of several UK partners; 19-20, where the companyMPP highlighted Ltd manufactures LPW Technology Ltd, Abertawe Bro both large and small lots, MPP Ltd - your Partner in some of the opportunities that Morgannwg University Health Board Additive Manufacturingdelivering is creating powdersand PDR, located in within Cardiff metal powder processing in the field of craniomaxillofacialquantities asMetropolitan low as 5kg University. Ÿ Powders tailored to your surgery. Renishaw, headquarteredthrough to multi-tonnage“3D printing is a rapidly growing in Gloucester, UK, exhibited technology in many areas of requirements its bespoke AM implantsorders. and medicine, as it has the potential to provided demonstrations of its new improve efficiency, accuracy and Ÿ Clean, spherical powders implant design software, Additive- ease of customisation,” explained manufacture for Design-led Efficient Ed Littlewood, Marketing Manager Ÿ Flexible - R&D to Patient Treatment (ADEPT). of Renishaw’s Medical and Dental production During the conference, Renishaw Products Division. “Since we demonstrated its knowledge presented at the first annual Ÿ Optimised for AM of patient-specific implants for conference last year, we have seen a craniomaxillofacial applications and growing interest and awareness of AM explained the benefits that a digital bespoke implants,” added Littlewood. workflow can bring to the field. “AM patient-specific implant On the company’s stand, visitors technology offers benefits to were introduced to successful the surgeon, hospital and most examples of instances in which importantly the patient,” explained Renshaw’s implant technology was Amy Davey, Reconstructive used to improve patient outcomes, Scientist at Southmead Hospital including a recent case where and Renishaw’s Medical and Dental neurosurgeon Bartolomé Oliver Products Division. “The implants can performed a craniotomy using parts have a positive impact on hospitals, manufactured on a Renishaw AM250 by improving patient outcomes and metal AM machine. speeding up surgery. Demonstrating Renishaw also offered successful cases of additively demonstrations of its new ADEPT manufactured patient-specific software package, aimed at enabling implants will help open the industry’s Please contact us to discuss your the widespread use of AM to produce eyes to the potential of AM technology, requirements for customised bespoke maxillofacial implants increasing uptake and improving powder development for both by mitigating cost and efficiency clinical outcomes.” R&D and large scale production barriers. According to Renishaw, www.renishaw.com .metalpowderprocess.co.uk www Application of MPP Powders

Ÿ Automotive Ÿ Aerospace Ÿ Energy Storage Ÿ Energy Generation Ÿ Medical

Metal Powder & Process Limited Chaucer Business Park - Dittons Road Polegate - East Sussex - BN26 6JF - UK Tel: +44 (0)1323 404 844 [email protected] Left to right: model of defect, cutting guide, model of defect removed, cranial www.metalpowderprocess.co.uk plate (Courtesy Renishaw)

E R

S H At EMO 2017 Mazak will turn Industry 4.0 from a revolutionary concept into a production reality. X MULTI-T RE AS 25 machines, many making their world debuts, will be connected G K E IN using Mazak’s robust Industry 4.0 infrastructure - centred around T G N ACHINING I M C SMOOTH Technology, Smartbox security and the MT Connect L E A N IC T standard communication protocol. T E R R E S Mazak will demonstrate how you can create the connected V factories of the future - iSmart Factories!

JOIN US ON L ID MU TI-TAS BR KI STAND B56 HALL 27 HY NG 18-23 SEPTEMBER TOMATIO AU N

LASER

ING RN CEN TU T C ER N S C

5-AXIS

Yamazaki Mazak U.K. Ltd. Badgeworth Drive, Worcester WR4 9NF

T: +44 (0)1905 755755 F: +44 (0)1905 755542 W: www.mazakeu.co.uk E: [email protected]

GE believes that enabling educa- AM systems to be installed in more tional institutions to provide access to than 400 schools under GE Additive AM systems will help accelerate the adoption of Additive Manufacturing Education Program worldwide. “Additive manufacturing and 3D printing is revolutionising More than 400 schools will receive that it plans to invest $10 million the way we think about designing Additive Manufacturing systems as over the next five years in two and manufacturing products,” stated a part of the GE Additive Education educational programmes, with the Mohammad Ehteshami, Vice President Program, reaching more than 180,000 aim of developing pipelines of future of GE Additive. “We want a pipeline of students around the globe. Of these, talent in Additive Manufacturing. engineering talent that have additive in eight colleges and universities will GE will provide the following their DNA. This education program is receive metal Additive Manufacturing eight schools with a Concept Laser our way of supporting that goal.” systems. GE has previously stated MLAB cusing 100R metal printing The Additive Education Program machine, with a market value of reportedly generated more than about $250,000 each, in the first 250 applications from colleges year of their Additive Education and universities and more than Program: 500 applications from primary and • Auburn University, USA secondary schools around the world. • Boston University, USA A hand-picked team of GE specialists • Iowa State University, USA evaluated each school and made the • North Carolina State University, final selections. USA GE will deliver the systems later this year and plans to provide • Ohio State University, USA machines to more schools each year • University of Cincinnati, USA over the next four years. The next • University of New South Wales, application window will open during GE will provide eight schools with a Australia the first quarter of 2018. Concept Laser MLAB cusing 100R • U.S. Naval Academy, USA www.geadditive.com

U.S. economy, and it’s public-private Arconic Foundation awards $600,000 collaborations like this Arconic across six schools to expand advanced Foundation grant programme that help equip today’s students to forge manufacturing education worldwide successful manufacturing careers.” The six grant recipients are: Arconic Foundation, the independently cutting-edge technologies like endowed philanthropic arm of Arconic automation, robotics, Additive • Ivy Tech Community College, Inc., New York City, New York, USA, Manufacturing and the digitalisation Lafayette, Indiana, United States reports that it has awarded six of information – to help solve the • Muskegon Community College, US$100,000 grants as part of its skills shortage faced by manufac- Muskegon, Michigan, United Advanced Manufacturing Education turers globally. In the United States States Grant Programme. Launched to fund alone, over 365,000 manufacturing • Pellissippi State Community education programmes focusing on jobs are currently open, according to College, Knoxville, Tennessee, emerging transformative technologies the National Association of Manufac- United States for the manufacturing industry, turers (NAM), and over two million of • University of Sheffield, Sheffield, Additive Manufacturing is seen as the 3.5 million job openings over the United Kingdom one such technology. In the next two next decade will go unfilled due to the • Cologne Institute for Economic years, academic and training institu- skills gap. The need is particularly Research in cooperation with the tions in the United States, Germany, acute for skilled and highly skilled students’ network D.E.M.I.N.G. Hungary and the United Kingdom positions, which can be exacerbated at the University of Applied aim to educate 375 students through by the pace of technological change, Science Fresenius Dusseldorf, these grant programs. states the Association. Germany According to Arconic, the Advanced “A healthy manufacturing sector is Manufacturing Education Grant a top priority,” explains Todd Boppell, • Obuda University, Szekesfe- Program addresses the rapid shift NAM’s Chief Operating Officer. hervar, Hungary. taking place in manufacturing – in “Manufacturing is the backbone of the www.arconic.com

S-160412-093 Average of 'Powder, Lot: 3-3, 6/16/2016 12:11:17 PM Sample Name Measurement Date Time PS# ZNI111-02BK, Analysis# 163751' Operator Name tgraham Analysis Date Time 6/16/2016 12:11:17 PM SOP File Name AeroS.cfg Result Source Averaged Customer Praxair Surface Technologies Inc Submission Number R-20160412-055 Sample Number S-160412-093

Analysis

Particle Name Nickel (AI 0.1) Particle Refractive Index 1.980 Dispersant Name Dry dispersion Dispersant Refractive Index 1.000 Particle Absorption Index 0.100 Laser Obscuration 3.65 % Weighted Residual 0.19 % Scattering Model Mie Analysis Model General Purpose Analysis Sensitivity Enhanced

Result

Concentration 0.0147 % Span 0.768 Uniformity 0.232 Result Units Volume Specific Surface Area 189.5 m²/kg Dv 10 22.6 µm D [3,2] 31.7 µm Dv 50 33.0 µm D [4,3] 34.3 µm Dv 90 47.9 µm

Frequency (compatible)

25.0

20.0

15.0

10.0 Volume Density(%)

5.0

0.0 0.01 0.10 1.0 10.0 100.0 1,000.0 10,000.0

Size Classes (µm)

[36] S-160412-093 Average of 'Powder, Lot: 3-3, PS# ZNI111-02BK, Analysis# 163751'-6/16/2016 12:11:1

Size (µm) % Volume In Size (µm) % Volume In Size (µm) % Volume In Size (µm) % Volume In Size (µm) % Volume In Size (µm) % Volume In Size (µm) % Volume In Size (µm) % Volume In 0.0100 0.00 0.0526 0.00 0.276 0.00 1.45 0.00 7.64 0.00 40.1 12.09 211 0.00 1110 0.00 0.0114 0.00 0.0597 0.00 0.314 0.00 1.65 0.00 8.68 0.00 45.6 7.66 240 0.00 1260 0.00 0.0129 0.00 0.0679 0.00 0.357 0.00 1.88 0.00 9.86 0.00 51.8 3.78 272 0.00 1430 0.00 0.0147 0.00 0.0771 0.00 0.405 0.00 2.13 0.00 11.2 0.00 58.9 1.30 310 0.00 1630 0.00 0.0167 0.00 0.0876 0.00 0.460 0.00 2.42 0.00 12.7 0.02 66.9 0.24 352 0.00 1850 0.00 0.0189 0.00 0.0995 0.00 0.523 0.00 2.75 0.00 14.5 0.32 76.0 0.01 400 0.00 2100 0.00 0.0215 0.00 0.113 0.00 0.594 0.00 3.12 0.00 16.4 1.51 86.4 0.00 454 0.00 2390 0.00 0.0244 0.00 0.128 0.00 0.675 0.00 3.55 0.00 18.7 4.11 98.1 0.00 516 0.00 2710 0.00 0.0278 0.00 0.146 0.00 0.767 0.00 4.03 0.00 21.2 8.02 111 0.00 586 0.00 3080 0.00 0.0315 0.00 0.166 0.00 0.872 0.00 4.58 0.00 24.1 12.38 127 0.00 666 0.00 3500 0.0358 0.00 0.188 0.00 0.991 0.00 5.21 0.00 27.4 15.82 144 0.00 756 0.00 0.0407 0.00 0.214 0.00 1.13 0.00 5.92 0.00 31.1 17.08 163 0.00 859 0.00 0.0463 0.00 0.243 0.00 1.28 0.00 6.72 0.00 35.3 15.66 186 0.00 976 0.00

Software Version: 2.10 Malvern Instruments Ltd - www.malvern.com Page 1 of 1

P&G and AMM partner with Canada Makes on customised AM parts

Procter & Gamble Belleville Plant metal Additive Manufacturing into (P&G) and Additive Metal Manu- their supply chain,” added Norman facturing Inc. (AMM), both based Holesh, AMM President. “P&G in Ontario, Canada, have partnered embarked on this journey with with Canada Makes to explore the the full understanding that to be building of new customised parts successful, the technology must be using Additive Manufacturing. The embraced as early as possible in project was funded through Canada the design stage. This technology is Makes’ Metal Additive Demonstration neither an alternative to subtractive Program. manufacturing nor a replacement “Metal Additive Manufacturing for it but an addition to the entire offers an exciting alternative to manufacturing process and allows commercial off-the-shelf parts for previously unthinkable designs An example of an additively manufac- that cannot achieve complicated and a dramatic reduction in lead tured fluid delivery system produced design requirements or internal times.” by Canada Makes (Courtesy Canada cavity geometry. Even in cases Canada Makes’ Metal Additive Makes) where commercial customisation is Manufacturing Demonstration available and able, it usually comes Program is funded by the National with significant additional costs Research Council Canada’s with a group of AM experts who offer or an unbearably long lead-time,” Industrial Research Assistance participating companies guidance on stated Haixia Jin, P&G Engineering Program and is designed to help the cost savings and efficiencies of Technical Manager. Canadian industries increase Additive Manufacturing. “AMM is delighted to be awareness and understanding of www.canadamakes.ca partnering with P&G and Canada the advantages of the metal AM www.pg.ca Makes in helping P&G introduce technology. Canada Makes works www.additivemet.com

process to develop metals and Autonomous Cluster Fund and Metalysis bespoke alloy powders suitable announce metal AM partnership for Additive Manufacturing, in an attempt to diversify the Republic of Kazakhstan’s Autonomous Cluster in the President’s Address, we are Kazakhstan’s economy. Initially, an Fund (Almaty Tech Garden) has working to grow new industries with R&D programme will be conducted signed an agreement with UK-based the use of digital technologies. Our at Metalysis’ new Materials Discovery Metalysis to develop high-value metals cooperation with Metalysis is aimed Centre. Subject to its findings, the and alloys for Additive Manufacturing. to develop Kazakhstan’s industry partners will then seek to develop Under the agreement, the partners sector in the field of metal additive Kazakhstan’s metal Additive Manu- will reportedly conduct a develop- production. We are delighted to have facturing industry, basing their efforts ment programme using Metalysis’ established such a partnership, which within the Autonomous Cluster Fund’s electrochemical process at its South will contribute to the diversification of Park of Innovative Technologies; Yorkshire Materials Discovery Centre, the economy of Kazakhstan.” weighing opportunities for in-country and support Kazakhstan’s developing Dr Malek Deifallah, Director of production of metal alloy powders and metal Additive Manufacturing industry Business Development at Metalysis, printing commercial products using through additional efforts at Kazakh- added, “This is an exciting time for Additive Manufacturing techniques. stan’s Park of Innovative Technologies Metalysis. We are very pleased to According to the Fund, Kazakhstan – a science and technology complex partner with the Autonomous Cluster is well placed to prosper from the aimed at diversifying national, Fund and together pursue the clear development of in-country metal AM. economic and industrial development. opportunities Kazakhstan presents Representatives state that the sector Company representatives and UK for metal alloy powder production is a natural fit within a sustained and Kazakh Government officials and Additive Manufacturing. We look development programme of economic attended the signing ceremony, forward to providing future updates and industrial frameworks, which where Sanzhar Kettebekov, CEO of as we go about applying our unique can build on the country’s geological Kazakhstan’s Autonomous Cluster know-how and technology.” endowment and know-how in natural Fund, commented, “For the purposes The partners will reportedly resource extraction. of adhering to the priorities outlined use Metalysis’ electrochemical www.metalysis.com

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Linear AMS: How an AM service provider is embracing the new infrastructure of on-demand manufacturing

In 2016 SAP and UPS announced their collaboration to develop a supply chain management solution that spans the complete AM process chain, from component evaluation and design to delivery of the final product. Leading US-based AM service provider Linear AMS, a Moog company, is one of several manufacturers involved in the venture. Linear AMS’s Bruce Colter and Moog’s George Small review the drivers behind on-demand manufacturing and present recent developments in materials, applications and component verification.

Much is made in the contemporary new thinking, while metal AM itself a Moog company based in Livonia, business world of ‘creative disrup- continues to evolve in response. Michigan, USA, as co-innovators in tion’ – reinventing and replacing At the 2016 Sapphire Now meeting its agreement with UPS to, in SAP’s outdated assets and cultures in favour in Orlando, Florida, USA, enterprise words, “transform the ad-hoc world of of improved processes, increased resource planning giant SAP SE industrial 3D printing into a seamless, efficiencies and more engaged named Moog Inc. and Linear AMS, on-demand manufacturing process employees. Manufacturing is certainly not immune to this need, but, as opposed to flexible working or pet- friendly workspaces, manufacturing, particularly in critical industries such as aerospace, defence, transportation and energy, demands more. Disruptive concepts must be followed immediately by a superior infrastructure wherein parts with tight tolerances come to market faster, with orders-of-magnitude improvements in quality and deliverability, all from the hands of a digitally savvy 21st Century workforce. Some of the world’s leading businesses are currently establishing the pillars of this new infrastructure around the core of metal Additive Manufacturing. Interestingly, these giants are not manufacturing companies per se, but visionaries in software and logistics, reaching out Fig. 1 An example of the design and functionality that can be achieved with to metal AM process leaders with metal Additive Manufacturing (Courtesy Linear AMS)

Vision & objective: An open eco-system for industrial on-demand manufacturing

Manufacturer SAP Distributed On-Demand Logistics Manufacturer Manufacturing Manufacturing Network / End Customer

Manufacturer’s 3rd Party Service Any Logistics Backend Bureau Network Define Printable Part

Part, Design & Quality Collaboration, Work Instructions

Digitisation & Collaboration

Process Integration

Fig. 2 SAP and UPS announced the era of an on-demand infrastructure with metal AM at the core

from order through manufacturing range of materials. “Technology you provide the right product at the and delivery.” Stan Deans, President, innovations such as 3D printing right time at the right place,” he UPS Global Distribution & Logistics, are revolutionising traditional said. stated at the event, “Markets are manufacturing and redefining In a recent white paper, ‘The Rise changing rapidly and no company our notion of the industrial supply of Smart Operations: Reaching New can solve all customer problems chain,” explained Bernd Leukert, Levels of Operational Excellence’, on its own. This agreement with member of the Executive Board, UPS describes how it conducted SAP adds an important UPS Products & Innovations, SAP SE, research to gauge the pace at capability to help customers at the time of the announcement. which manufacturers are evolving. right-size inventories and lower “By bringing together the The results indicate a widening short-run production costs, and help on-demand manufacturing and gap between companies that are entrepreneurs bring their ideas to logistics expertise of UPS and the aggressively embracing smart life faster than ever.” extended supply chain leadership operations principles and those that Additive Manufacturing ties it all of SAP, we can enable direct are falling further behind. Those together. With networks becoming digital manufacturing and an companies taking the lead are much tighter in response to unrelenting on-demand industrial manufacturing better positioned to achieve the level competition and delivery schedules, network that connects from the of operational excellence necessary one unplanned production halt can manufacturing floor to the customer to be competitively effective in bring down an entire supply chain. door.” today’s demanding markets, says With this agreement, SAP customers In his keynote at the Sapphire UPS. can digitise and streamline Now event, Leukert continued to Not surprisingly, the research production part approval processes state that all businesses have a also revealed another prominent and orders can be seamlessly common desire to succeed in the success factor — the increasingly routed to UPS stores equipped with so-called digital age and part of the important role of external service Additive Manufacturing systems or solution is to deliver a ‘live’ customer providers. Manufacturing companies experienced service bureaus such as experience. “For many years, we, must recognise the need to focus Linear AMS. as well as many other companies, on their key internal competencies Currently, UPS stores will have have talked about the 360° customer while leveraging the scale, systems for additively manufacturing view. Today, we are moving more to technology and skills of those in resins and plastics; Linear AMS a contextual view, a real-time view providers that can deliver crucial has a fleet of twenty metal Additive of each individual customer. That support processes. This includes Manufacturing machines and more view can get you virtually inside enterprise-wide software partners than twelve years of processing your customers’ heads; you can like SAP, logistics experts like UPS and troubleshooting experience understand the hopes, the dreams, and metal AM pioneers like Moog manufacturing parts from a wide the mental pictures, which then lets and Linear.

Reinventing the industrial SAP Distributed Manufacturing: Cloud-based collaboration supply chain platform with on-demand AM service providers “3D printing has been around since the 1980s, but today there’s really Customer On-Demand an explosion going on,” states Alan Make internally SAP Service Providers Amling, Vice President of Marketing Distributed at UPS Global Logistics & Distribu- Manufacturing tion. “Every week you see something new about it in the press.” Speaking Part Specification at a 2016 SAP event focusing on the aerospace and defence industries, Design Collaboration Amling made the point that manufacturing, and manufacturing’s customers, have followed the same rules of mass production for RFQ Integration decades. “But there are numerous advantages that make Additive Manufacturing especially attractive,” MRP Amling says, “like no minimum Quality Collaboration quantities, no upfront tooling costs, faster production times and more Operative Procurement cost-effective customisations.” (with General Availability) “The 3D market is expected to triple over the next three years,” he continued. “If you can imagine that just 5% of manufacturing moves to 3D printing, that would represent Fig. 3 Cloud-based part delivery covers RFQ, design, procurement and quality, $640 billion.” in addition to manufacturing In fact, Amling envisions Additive Manufacturing as part of a larger, more connected digital economy, The answer is the disruption Linear AMS: Experienced taking the previously announced portion of the scenario, rethinking service providers at the SAP/UPS infrastructure and building manufacturing capacity and its ability heart of the system even further. In a recent TED talk, he to respond to the needs of particular describes a global network where customers. For these customers – While additive in general and metal thousands of intelligently connected after a successful validation period additive in particular continue to gain AM machines are located in key with early access customers and exposure, they are by no means a areas all around the world, creating partners – SAP introduced a new ‘plug-and-play’ solution for acceler- an elastic, on-demand manufac- solution in 2017 that delivers on ating supply-chain efficiencies (Fig. 4). turing cloud. its initial promise. SAP Distributed George Small, Principal Engineer at But why do Amling and UPS, Manufacturing combines standard- Moog’s Space and Defense Division, in particular, have such a keen ised, scalable business processes puts it this way: “Our first forays into interest in Additive Manufacturing? for digitising, approving, certifying AM go back over fifteen years. With Well, remember – in addition to and producing parts (Figs. 2, 3). Part our background in manufacturing of delivering millions of packages per of the SAP Leonardo IoT portfolio, complex parts, we could easily see day to businesses and consumers it provides a network for discrete the value of direct digital fabrica- worldwide, UPS is also a global manufacturers to collaborate with tion. Printing of polymer parts for supply chain solution provider. “We Additive Manufacturing companies fit checks, prototypes and tooling maintain more than 1,000 global field and service providers, materials became commonplace at Moog. stocking stations,” notes Amling, providers, postal companies and However, the real target for us was “and these warehouses store critical global logistics networks. The metal additive parts.” spare parts for companies around solution’s modules for Assessment & “Powder bed laser technology the world.” So what happens to this Digitisation, Collaboration & Approval looked to be the most mature and significant segment of the business and Production provide end-to-end suitable for our typical Moog applica- when inventory is stored virtually capabilities from pre-production tions,” he continues. “But results of and can be created using Additive through order, manufacturing and our early trials were disappointing Manufacturing? delivery. to say the least. Delamination

Additive Manufacturing is more than just the machine

POWDER MANAGEMENT Includes: Specification, sieving, reuse, handling, filling, removal Stress relief

Build stresses EDM

Recoater direction Build Verification

Supports Micro machining

Build direction SAP Level III removal

Build plate design AM Machine Parameters Honing Data Control and verification AM Machine 3D scanning Machine allowances Control strategies Contamination control

AM Design freedom/constraints CT scan

AM Design rules 2.0 Heat treat

AM part selection Polishing (Suitability criteria/assessment) AM part costing

Fig. 4 The new metal AM infrastructure covers numerous pre- and post-processing functions. Blockchain-based part verification adds security and traceability throughout

between layers was common, porosity methods. However, there are still brought the most experience in abundant and material properties challenges to be met in getting AM North America in progressing lacking. Every few years we would try into widespread use (see Table 1). along the metal AM learning curve, a few more parts at outside service All of this changed in late 2015, including integrating computer-aided vendors with comparable results. The when Moog purchased a majority design into Additive Manufacturing, technology did not seem ready for our interest in Linear Mold & Engineering. developing processing parameters demanding applications.” Founded in 2003, Linear Mold, now and handling procedures for metal Additive Manufacturing allows Linear AMS, was an early adopter powders and troubleshooting production of parts with complexity in metal AM, purchasing the second thousands of builds. that cannot be easily matched by powder-bed fusion machine from EOS Linear CAD Operations Manager traditional manufacturing methods. It in North America (the first purchaser Kevin Jonatzke’s experience goes can be used to produce impossible- was GE). back to the days of rapid prototyping, predating metal AM. “I ran a prototyping company of my own, printing plastic parts,” he explains. “The acquisition of Linear brought “What brought me to Linear, among more than metal AM capacity; it other things, was the opportunity for design engineering – to take parts brought full CNC machine shop from the design stage and work them capabilities, including wire EDM and directly into production.” “However, it is increasingly finishing capabilities” difficult to sell a customer on rapid prototyping in manufacturing. Rapid prototyping serves a design function, to-machine features; it can produce The acquisition of Linear brought producing 3D models of design itera- parts without seams or joints; often, more than metal AM capacity; it tions,” Jonatzke continues. “Manu- complex geometric or organic shapes brought full CNC machine shop facturing has different expectations, are only possible and practical to capabilities, including wire EDM requiring different strategies. There produce using Additive Manufacturing and finishing capabilities. It also are a lot of variables in building a

Fig. 5 A small selection of Linear’s fleet of 20 metal AM machines (Courtesy Linear AMS)

part and there is no automated CAD and optimising them for metal AM. the project because of the difficul- software that will take each part It is definitely a team effort to take ties. To my knowledge, there are not model and translate it into the best the same geometry and strength a lot of companies that share the production strategy. Metal AM, for requirements from conventional kind of process knowledge that puts example, involves anchoring the manufacturing and approach them customers months, if not years, part to the build plate. Are there from a metal printing perspective. ahead of trial-and-error part design constraints in the build direction? Do There are great customers, who and development. As I said before, different support structures make a help take on the challenges and new there is no automated CAD software difference?” perspectives metal AM provides, and that will build each part from a “What we are moving into is taking there are customers who have built model. The difference is production designs for traditional manufacturing parts and then refused to rebid on experience.”

Opportunities and benefits Challenges and complexities Supply chain optimisation Lack of released standards Greater geometric flexibility Material properties, design allowables Complexity comes for free Process control understanding Rapid turnaround, faster time-to-market Powder specifications Customisation and redesign opportunities Thermal processing Tooling elimination Component design understanding Operating cost and inventory reductions Post-processing, including surface finishing Sustainable and energy efficient Non-destructive inspection of AM parts Accurate and repeatable Cyber security Compatible with other processes

Table 1 Opportunities and challenges for metal AM (Courtesy Moog Inc.)

High performance aluminium alloys: F357

A357 aluminium alloy is a popular choice in many industries, including aerospace, defence and automotive, due to its strength, weight, machinability and other performance characteristics. F357, the beryllium- free version of A357, has a tensile and yield strength comparable to A357, but eliminates the inherent safety hazard of working with beryllium. According to the United States Department of Labor, exposure to, contact with or inhalation of beryllium is known to cause lung cancer. Unfortunately, design and mechanical engineers wishing to make F357 components have to rely on castings and their inherent trade- offs. Tooling to make castings is expensive and complex components can greatly drive up tooling costs, Fig. 6 Linear AMS has extensive AM process knowledge (Courtesy Linear AMS) dampening innovation. This situation has, however, changed significantly thanks to AM technology and Linear AMS, Metallurgy and materials involves taking the chamber tempera- together with engineering support handling ture up, then slowly bringing it down. from parent company Moog Inc., Hand in hand with residual stress is is now successfully printing F357 Bob Henderson, Linear’s Director of porosity. The Hot Isostatic Pressing on its Direct Metal Laser Melting Additive Manufacturing, cites metal- (HIP) process essentially squeezes the (DMLM) equipment. “Not only is this lurgy expertise and material-handling part like a sponge. Now you cannot a significant technical achievement, procedures as factors to consider in cure every kind of porosity, but Linear it is a real culture shift in the way establishing a complete production continues to develop effectiveness Linear is now operating,” states infrastructure. “We purchase a lot of tests that help us determine which Chris Jastrzembski, Additive Manu- 20 to 60-micron metal powder and process is more effective and why.” facturing Account Manager. “With how we handle it, in what conditions Henderson adds, “All of this is for Moog’s input, we are developing new and how we process it makes a big solving real problems for real parts material parameters constantly. difference in the final outcome.” in real applications. We came up Printing F357 is a direct result of that “Many factors, such as how you with a real beauty recently. There is a work.” sieve metal powders to the proper standard mechanical properties test That Linear AMS also has a particle size, at what temperature that uses tensile test bars. As we were full CNC machine shop for post- and humidity you store and handle building metal parts, we also built a processing additively manufactured the metal powders, can make a big bunch of test bars along the perimeter parts adds to the company’s capabili- difference in part quality,” he adds. of the coupon and then introduced a ties. “Securing and qualifying metal “We have a measurement we call number of variables – interrupting powders and printing new materials build failure. It is not a gold star for the build for various periods of time, is a great example of the partnership us, nor is it good for the customer, opening the chamber and releasing between Linear’s capacity and but having increased knowledge and the argon gas and then restarting the Moog’s engineering support and tighter controls over the management process, that kind of thing. What we deep involvement in aerospace and of our powders helps us reduce our are doing is building a unique set of defence,” Jastrszembski adds. “We failure rate.” specifications on build interruptions are continuing to collect mechanical “Take residual stress, for example. backed up with data. This could go on data and explore printing parameters Stress relief is one critical post- for a couple of years, testing multiple based on powder density, surface processing activity that will positively materials on multiple machine types finish, laser power, scan speed and affect residual stress. Basically, it under multiple conditions.” many others.”

There is definitely a buzz at Linear over printing F357 and continually exploring other materials, including copper grades used in combustion chambers and thermal transfer equipment. “It is very proactive as far as customers are concerned,” Jastrszembski explains when asked about customer feedback. “They are finding they do not have to alter prints or drawings drastically to take advantage of 3D printing. From our perspective, pushing the envelope on new materials and metallurgical processing is not only exciting, it is affecting and improving what we are already doing every day with existing materials.”

The growth of copper as an AM material

“There is a lot of interest in thermal stabilisation projects for copper components, due to copper’s excel- Fig. 7 A copper EDM sinker with internal channels (Courtesy Linear AMS) lent heat-transfer properties and electrical conductivity,” states Paul Breeding, Director Of Engineering/ Additive at Linear. “Tie in all the our efforts aimed at bettering our and channel geometries impossible advantages of metal AM in removing engineering and metallurgical to obtain with conventional tooling. design constraints and expanding part understanding of not only copper, “We build the unmachinable!” configuration choices, compared to but all the materials our customers stated David Baucus, DME Product conventional milling and turning, and want.” Manager, adding, “The conformal copper becomes a very exciting choice cooling solution places cooling for particular parts.” channels at the optimal distance Industries such as aerospace and Conformal Cooling: building from the mould surface, consistently automotive are breaking new ground the unmachinable following the geometric shape of in printing copper components. As any mould insert for any customer recently as 2015, NASA announced Milacron Holdings Corp., a leading part, allowing the mould to maintain its first full-scale additively manu- industrial technology company a targeted, consistent temperature factured copper part, a combustion serving the plastics processing that allows for complete thermal chamber liner. “We are not trying industry, has announced that its DME control with cooling times reduced to just make and test one part,” a product brand, a leader in mould up to 100%. This technology also project leader reported. “We are components, moulding supplies and allows for conformal venting solu- developing a repeatable process that industrial supplies, is partnering with tions for those hard to reach areas industry can adopt to manufacture Linear AMS to offer metal additively of trapped gases, when requested by engine parts with advanced designs. manufactured conformal cooling the moulder.” The ultimate goal is to make building products to help improve productivity “Conventional mould cooling has rocket engines more affordable for in the moulding industry. remained largely unchanged for everyone.” TruCool® is a new line of DME decades. DME’s partnership with Process development is an ongoing products designed to help mould- Linear AMS is a huge step forward mission that Linear AMS shares as makers and moulders with mould for the industry,” added Peter Smith, well. “It is a very interesting time in cooling. DME’s conformal cooling DME President. Smith added, “Our the industrial space with Additive solutions through Linear use metal real world, in-field results show a Manufacturing,” Breeding continues. AM to produce highly complex significantly reduced total cycle time “Team building, participating in cavities, cores and components with – between 15 and 60% depending on standards discussions and improving conformal cooling channels. The part complexity, shortening the time process controls are just some of AM process achieves shapes, paths needed to run the part and improving

Conventional machined TruCool Additive cooling Manufactured cooling

Fig. 8 Linear AMS is providing TruCool conformal cooling inserts for DME Milacron. TruCool conformal cooling provides superior heat transfer over conventional cooling technologies (Courtesy Linear AMS)

part quality. That is a significant Digital part verification Now, take an example from the cost saving every moulder would be real world. Last year, a nineteen- interested in. Likewise, OEM/product Moog is contributing significant effort year-old turbine disk violently designers will benefit from the toward strengthening the metal AM broke apart inside the engine of an technology as it broadens the scope infrastructure even further. By using American Airlines jetliner taking off of part design, allowing for advance- Blockchain, the technology behind the from O’Hare International Airport ments in plastic part production and digital currency Bitcoin, Moog Inc. and in Chicago, sparking a massive application use.” Identify3D (San Francisco, California, fire and a wide-ranging probe into “We have taken the lessons from USA) are together launching Veri- General Electric’s CF6 engines. The over a decade of building DMLM Part™; a cloud-based, open-standard ‘uncontained’ failure, which hurled parts and established design rules digital part verification system that is fragments as far as half a mile from and process controls that enable us re-imagining and re-making the part the scene, is certainly unusual given to make excellent quality compo- verification process. modern protective casings, but at nents that meet or exceed customer Watch The Antiques Roadshow least four other planes powered by expectations,” states David Hodge, more than once and you will hear the the same GE engine family have Linear AMS General Manager. “We word ‘provenance’ pop up. Meaning experienced serious malfunctions are excited to partner with DME, to establish the true origin or source since 2000. a leader in the moulding industry, of an object (from the Latin provenire, Imagine if there were a perfect who shares our focus for serving ‘to come forth’), a lack of or unknown trail, entirely digital and immediately customers with superior products. provenance implies (a) questionable if accessible, for checking all part When a customer is moulding not shoddy workmanship; (b) that the approvals from design through millions of parts, seeing significant item is counterfeit and/or (c) that it is production. Industries with critical process gains is a real eye-opener.” illegal. part-performance requirements,

Fig. 9 Tooling has become an important market thanks in large part to conformal cooling (Courtesy Linear AMS)

including aerospace, defence, allows the capture of these data and Manufacturing equipment, estab- automotive, medical and more, have the verification of each transaction lishing and preserving truth along part-checking requirements built into digitally at every step of the process,” each step of design and manufac- the supply chain. Hundreds of millions Regenor continues. “Essentially, turing is an essential commodity. of dollars are spent verifying part and this creates a digital ledger system, According to The Economist, the process quality - with varying degrees available any time, to any participant, blockchain began life in the mind of success - from antiquated and whenever needed.” of Satoshi Nakamoto, the brilliant, time-consuming job tickets and paper pseudonymous and so far unidentified trails to complex, Big Data-inspired creator of bitcoin – a “purely peer-to- computerised systems requiring an Making and preserving peer version of electronic cash,” as extensive, customised and costly truth he put it in a paper published in 2008. IT infrastructure. Manufacturing To work as cash, bitcoin had to be companies without the knowledge or In a 2015 article, entitled “The able to change hands without being resources to invest in part verification great chain of being sure about diverted into the wrong account and to are effectively cut out from acquiring things,” The Economist wrote that be impossible for the same person to or growing any business in complex- “the cryptographic technology that spend twice. part manufacturing. underlies bitcoin, called the ‘block- To fulfil Nakamoto’s dream of a “Many industries are fraught with chain’, has applications well beyond decentralised system, the avoidance counterfeit parts, from aerospace cash and currency. It offers a way for of such abuses had to be achieved and defence to vitamins and supple- people who do not know or trust each without recourse to any trusted ments,” explains Moog Director other to create a record of who owns third party, such as the banks that James Regenor. Every action in the what that will compel the assent of stand behind conventional payment supply chain – obtaining raw mate- everyone concerned. It is a way of systems. So the blockchain became rials, confirming and finalising part making and preserving truths.” this trusted third party; a database design adjustments, manufacturing, In a manufacturing world of digital that contains the payment history of post-processing, shipping – generates part designs, whose files not only every bitcoin in circulation, providing microbursts of data, energy and band- establish design provenance but also proof of who owns what at any given width. “Blockchain-based technology power CNC machining and Additive juncture.

tual property from all stakeholders. VeriPart-verified parts are guaranteed authentic because all the materials, design changes and manufacturing processes are certified and trace- able.” Take the engine disk example mentioned earlier. Now, imagine an aerospace Maintenance Repair and Overhaul worker being able to scan a metal AM replacement part and know 100% that it is not counterfeit and be able to look up the data to validate its origin and production.

Conclusion

Through network-wide software solutions, domestic and international logistics expertise and the ever- evolving capabilities of metal AM production, including seamless digital part verification, the technology’s ability to disrupt the conventional manufacturing supply chain is very real. As demonstrated in this Fig. 10 Digital part verification presents the opportunity to transform safety and article, the infrastructure to support security in critical sectors such as aerospace (Courtesy Linear AMS) metal Additive Manufacturing as it embraces the potential of on-demand manufacturing is very much in place. This distributed ledger is replicated all the supervisors in between – can on thousands of computers – bitcoin’s generate thousands of ledger pages ‘nodes’ – around the world and is across ad hoc networks, which Authors publicly available. However, for all effectively establish peer-to-peer its openness, it is also trustworthy trust as parts move through produc- Bruce Colter and secure. This is guaranteed by tion. Part provenance is established Director, Linear AMS the mixture of mathematical subtlety every step of the way. 12926 Stark Road and computational brute force built “Using VeriPart as the platform Livonia, MI48150 into its ‘consensus mechanism’ – the for a cloud-based project manage- USA process by which all nodes agree on ment system makes authenticity, Email: [email protected] how to update the blockchain in the status availability, quality and light of bitcoin transfers from one security immediately available George Small person to another. up and down the network to any Principal Engineer, Moog Inc. Adjusting blockchain to part participant that needs it,” states 400 Jamison Rd. verification essentially and efficiently Regenor. “Such a process also East Aurora, NY 14052 digitises the paper trail for design becomes self-policing, quickly USA through manufacturing. Hundreds identifying under-performers and of process participants – designers, thereby strengthening the supply engineers, raw material buyers, chain. Design and manufacturing equipment operators, process owners retain their ownership and specialists, schedulers, shippers and can aggregate and reward intellec-

Airbus Defense and Space, Boeing, NASA and the Mayo Clinic are among the speakers already confirmed for the first edition of Additive Manufacturing Americas, taking place on 6-8 December in Pasadena. They join exhibitors including Stratasys, GKN Sinter Metal, 3DEO, Raise 3D, Aleph Objects (LULZBOT) and Wacker (Aceo3D). Shouldn’t you be there too? Additive Manufacturing Americas is the business-to-business trade show for the AM / 3D printing industry, free from the distraction of consumer-oriented technologies. The show covers the entire advanced design and manufacturing ecosystem from full AM/3D printing systems, software solutions, scanning and imaging equipment to finishing solutions and material innovations. Be a part of it! Visit www.amshow-americas.com today to find out more.

Metal Additive Manufacturing gains ground in the tyre industry

The global tyre industry and its supply chain met in Hannover, Germany, from February 14-16 for the Tire Technology Expo 2017. This exhibition and accompanying technical conference was held at the Hannover Messe for the second time and attracted 280 exhibitors and close to 5000 international visitors. Dr Georg Schlieper visited the exhibition on behalf of Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine and reports on the growing use of Additive Manufacturing in the tyre industry.

Some ten years ago leading French some even exhibited tyre moulds Tyres for cars, motorcycles, tyre manufacturer Michelin began to featuring additively manufactured trucks and agricultural vehicles are investigate metal AM technology for inserts. Two manufacturers of AM produced by what is a highly special- the production of tyre moulds. These production equipment, EOS GmbH ised industry sector. The last step in preliminary tests were so successful and SLM Solutions Group AG, were the production of tyres is the vulcani- that in September 2015 the Michelin also represented at the show. The sation of the tyre in a closed mould. Group announced the formation of Additive Manufacturing technology In this process, the rubber material of a 50/50 joint venture with the Fives currently applied by these companies the tyre is cured and converted into an Group, also based in France, for is metal Powder Bed Fusion using elastomer at elevated temperatures, the development of industrial metal laser beams. with the mould giving the tyre its Additive Manufacturing machines. It was stated at the time of the announcement that the new company, based in Clermont-Ferrand, France, was expected to “produce, on an industrial scale, mould parts that are unachievable using traditional means of production.” These developments were of course noted by manufacturers of tyre moulds, the majority of whom relied upon conventional manufacturing processes. As a result, many in the industry were drawn to investigate AM technology further, carrying out R&D activities in collaboration with manufacturers of metal AM systems. Some of these mould manufacturers spoke about their experience with Fig. 1 The Michelin Alpin 5 winter passenger car tyre is siped to full tread Metal Additive Manufacturing depth, to better preserve the tyre’s winter performance during the whole life of magazine at the exhibition and the tyre (Courtesy Michelin)

Fig. 2 Fives Michelin Additive Solutions, a joint venture launched by Fives and Michelin, has introduced a range of metal AM solutions under its new AddUp brand. The company can now supply a complete industrial based system built around its new FormUp™ 350 machine, as well as offering support and advice on part production

final shape. Tyre moulds are usually the finishing operation carried out The application of AM in the not produced by tyre manufacturers manually. tyre industry themselves, but by specialised mould Tyre profiles are comprised making companies once the mould of an array of broad and narrow The conventional method for the design is agreed upon between grooves. Each tyre company has manufacture and installation of the mould manufacturer and the its own profile design that reflects sipes is extremely costly and time customer. its strategy on how to optimise the consuming. Sipes are made from The conventional manufacturing running performance, grip and steel sheets by stamping and cold route for tyre moulds starts with durability of a tyre. The negative bending. Thus, four to five sets a light metal casting consisting of shape of the profile is represented of stamping and bending tools a homogeneous, wear resistant on the inside of the tyre mould. are required for a specific sipe aluminium-silicon alloy. The high heat Broad grooves can be integrated geometry. Since each tyre mould contains various sipe geometries, the preparation of the required tooling “the preparation of the required is a major time and cost factor. The tooling is a major time and cost factor. tyre industry’s interest in Additive Manufacturing has been focused on The tyre industry’s interest in Additive this problem from the very beginning. Fig. 3 shows an exhibit by Dahmen Manufacturing has been focused on GmbH, a specialist in the production this problem from the very beginning” of tyre moulds by CNC milling based in Alsdorf, Germany at the Tire Expo 2017. It is a tyre mould segment conductivity of aluminium allows for in the aluminium mould, but for illustrating the manufacturing steps a rapid removal of the heat during narrow grooves with a width of that are required to install steel the vulcanising process and thus less than approximately 3 mm, the sipes in a conventional tyre mould. shortens the manufacturing cycle. hardness and stiffness of aluminium The raw profile is first milled into Tyre mould segments are produced is insufficient. Instead, thin steel an aluminium block (1), then slots by casting or milling on 5-axis CNC inserts called sipes are mounted in for the sipes are machined into the machining centres, with much of the aluminium mould. aluminium mould (2). The sipes are

then inserted by hand into the slots of the mould (3) and fixed at several points by laser beam welding (4). In this particular mould there are at least four different types of sipe; however, as the complexity of tyre moulds increases, so does the number of different sipes. The finishing operation includes manual grinding and the shot peening with glass beads of the entire mould. Metal AM magazine interviewed several exhibitors at the event to find out what participants from the tyre industry thought about metal Additive Manufacturing. Their statements clearly show the progress achieved by metal AM along with the areas in which improvements are still necessary. Sandor Barkoczi, Head of Design at Tauform Tyre Moulds Co., Budapest, Hungary, stated that some tyre mould manufacturers and tyre companies, following the example of Michelin, had made attempts to use metal Additive Manufacturing. The initial focus was on sipes in experimental and prototype moulds for applications where speed of manufacturing was more important than the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the mould. Despite the advantages of Additive Manufacturing, namely design flexibility and manufacturing speed, Barkoczi realised that the dimensional accuracy and surface quality offered by AM was not yet sufficient and the cost was still very high. However, he acknowledged the progress that had been made in recent years by AM machine manufacturers and stated that he expected further progress in the years to come. Patrick Dahmen, Managing Fig. 3 A conventional tyre mould segment from Dahmen GmbH. The lower Director of Dahmen GmbH, sees the images demonstrates the mounting of steel sipes (from right to left): (1) milled opportunities for metal AM to replace raw profile, (2) slots to accommodate the sipes, (3) sipes inserted manually, (4) the conventional sipes used in tyre sipes fixed by laser beam welding moulds with more complex additively manufactured sipes, but he is more cautious with regard to the question and manual processing, is not yet distortions of the mould. Furthermore, of whether it is technically and faster than milling and incurs higher it was stated that the heat that is economically feasible to replace the manufacturing costs. “Long-term introduced by the laser beams in entire milled moulds with additively studies on the stability and reliability powder bed fusion inevitably leads to manufactured ones. After several of 3D printed moulds are missing,” distortion due to non-uniform thermal initial investigations, Dahmen has stated Dahmen. He expects that the expansion and contraction, which has come to the conclusion that the temperature variations applied in tyre to be compensated for by secondary AM process, including mechanical production might lead to unacceptable operations.

Fig. 4 A build plate with sipes (Courtesy EOS)

Since tyres require an exact it produces practically no waste cautioned that the surface quality of runout, the shape requirements on and, unlike casting technology, can AM sipes is still far from that required the concentricity of a tyre mould are use electric power supplies that are by the tyre industry. very high. Dahmen stated that out- more readily available everywhere. of-round tolerances of directly milled Bambuch told Metal AM magazine tyre moulds, particularly moulds for that Pneuform had primarily used EOS’s view of the tyre high-performance tyres and prototype Additive Manufacturing for the industry moulds, are in the range of 0.05 mm. production of sipes used in the rapid Augustin Niavas, Business Develop- ment Manager Tools at EOS GmbH, Krailling, Germany, has experienced “Conventional processes are at their an increasing interest in metal AM limits for realising more and more from the tyre mould industry over the last four years. Initial efforts were sophisticated mould designs, both directed at sipes (Fig. 4) because this with respect to costs and feasibility” was where the greatest advantage was anticipated. “Conventional processes are at their limits for realising more and more sophis- Undoubtedly, it was stated, this toler- prototyping of moulds for snow ticated mould designs, both with ance requirement cannot currently be tyres. He said that even today AM respect to costs and feasibility,” said met by metal AM alone. sipes of complex shape offer savings Niavas. “Additive Manufacturing is the Jan Bambuch, President Sales at in cost and time in comparison to best solution for so-called 3D sipes, tyre mould manufacturer Pneuform conventional production. He predicted meaning sipes with an undercut.” a.s., Hulin, Czech Republic, acknowl- that metal Additive Manufacturing will For printing the entire mould, edged that metal Powder Bed Fusion play an increasing role in tyre mould Niavas admitted, there is still is environmentally attractive because manufacturing in the future but much work to do for AM equipment

manufacturers. Today, he sees a realistic chance of producing prototype moulds for snow tyres by AM. “The road to production is still long and it will take some time before AM is an established process for the tyre industry,” he said. “We have to keep close contacts with the tyre industry so that we can improve our processes step-by-step towards the requirements of our customers.” For EOS, the reduction of manufacturing costs is at the top of the agenda for a further expansion of AM technology in the tyre mould market. Niavas does not expect a substantial price reduction for AM machines in the foreseeable future. Therefore, build speed is in his opinion the main parameter for reducing unit costs. From a technical perspective, Niavas has identified a clear demand for reducing the cost of secondary operations on AM products. EOS, he explained, follows a strategy of cooperation with companies who bring expert knowledge into the partnership. One partner is Georg Fig. 5 Tyre mould with additively manufactured segments (Herbert) Fischer Automotive AG, who brings special expertise in the layout of fully automatic production cells. Niavas pointed out that optimising the part specifications and reassure them that tyres. Tyre moulds consist of eight flow can offer a substantial cost AM materials are as reliable as the to sixteen segments whose size reduction in secondary operations. materials they are familiar with. fits well into the build chambers of Of course, a considerable According to Niavas, EOS has existing AM machines. In his opinion, reduction of secondary operation made significant progress over the close cooperation between the tyre costs can be achieved with closer last five years. The development of manufacturer, the mould designer dimensional tolerances and better multi-laser printers represented a and the equipment manufacturer is surface quality in raw parts produced major step up in productivity, while important to identify the best concept by AM. According to Niavas, much of the size of build chambers has been for a tyre mould. Frohwerk agreed the distortion that is associated with increased over the years and connec- that the extremely high dimensional AM has already been compensated tivity among groups of printers has accuracy and surface quality required for through simulation software been introduced, as well as process in the production of tyre moulds are and he expects further substantial monitoring. the biggest challenge for Additive improvements in the dimensional Manufacturing. accuracy of metal AM products in the Frohwerk claimed that steel near future. The perspective of SLM mould segments with sipes of as The range of materials suitable Solutions little as 0.3 mm thickness can today for processing by metal Powder be printed as a whole using SLM Bed Fusion has been extended in Ralf Frohwerk, Global Head of Solutions’ equipment. This avoids recent years. A number of steels and Business Development at SLM the costly procedure of stamping aluminium can now be produced. Solutions, one of the leading devel- and bending the sipes, as well as Since metal powder based processes opers and manufacturers of metal inserting them into the body of the cannot always reproduce the same AM equipment based in Lübeck, mould. Although the shape accuracy alloys that mould manufacturers are Germany, said that 3D sipes, which required by the tyre industry is still a accustomed to, it takes extra effort can only be produced by metal AM big challenge, Frohwerk is optimistic from AM equipment manufacturers technology, are particularly beneficial as he looks back on the significant to comply with customers’ material for the running performance of snow progress made in this respect during

Conclusion

In conclusion, we found that in spite of some scepticism with regard to metal Additive Manufacturing in the tyre mould community, the technology has recently started to gain ground. The dimensional accuracy of additively manufactured products has continuously been improved and the tyre industry has recognised that the advantages of the technology can only be fully exploited if compromises are made with regard to the limitations of the AM process. Metal AM technology is already widely used as a rapid prototyping tool for developing new tyre mould designs and the unique freedom of design that it offers, allowing for the production of 3D sipes, is appreciated by the industry. For a deeper penetration of the tyre mould market it is essential that equipment manufacturers and users cooperate, learn from each other and work step-by-step to close the gap between the capabilities of Additive Manufacturing and the requirements of tyre mould manufacturers. The author expresses his sincere Fig. 6 Close-up of the Herbert tyre mould thanks to all interview partners who have willingly and openly communi- cated their opinions on the issue of Additive Manufacturing in the tyre the last three years. He expects roundness to support the inner industry. that metal AM technology will be profile. Inside the supporting outer further improved and the amount of ring is the additively manufactured Author secondary processing minimised in shell forming the tyre profile. This is the near future. as thin as possible for cost reduction. Dr Georg Schlieper According to Frohwerk, the present Herbert Maschinenbau GmbH, a Harscheidweg 89 concept of an AM tyre mould is a leading German manufacturer of D-45149 Essen twin shell design. The outer shell is a tyre moulds, exhibited a mould using Germany machined aluminium ring providing this twin shell design at Hannover Tel. +49 201 712098 the required strength, stability and (Figs. 5, 6). Email: [email protected]

Complex, net-shape components in high volumes?

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Desktop Metal: A rising star of metal AM targets speed, cost and high-volume production

Over the past few months it has been hard to avoid hearing about Desktop Metal, Inc. at AM trade shows and in the growing sections of the industrial media. In the following article Terry Wohlers reports on a recent visit to the company’s headquarters. Guided by Ric Fulop, Desktop Metal’s founder and CEO, Wohlers’ initial scepticism is put to rest as he discovers the company’s Studio and Production systems. Together they offer a credible solution to both accessibility to AM technology and the challenges of speed, cost and high-volume production.

In April this year I visited Desktop The people Fulop told me that he and Elon Musk, Metal in Burlington, Massachu- founder of Tesla and SpaceX, have setts, a short distance northwest Desktop Metal, like most other shared some of the same investors, of Boston. Ric Fulop, founder and high-tech companies, is largely so he had got to know him reasonably CEO, was my host. Prior to my about technology, yet it is as much well. This led, in part, to the 2017 arrival, I knew little about what the about people. Organisations need a Tesla Model S that we were riding company was doing. I had bumped leader and a figurehead, and Fulop in. I also learned that Fulop founded into a number of Desktop Metal is that person. When going to dinner, A123Systems, which had the largest employees over the past year and a half, but they were disciplined and shared little detail. Based on what little I had heard and knew about Desktop Metal’s technology, I was sceptical prior to my visit. What I saw was enlightening. After spending part of an evening and several hours the following day at the company’s headquarters, I could tell it was developing something special that involved considerable invention and innovation. I saw new and creative ideas being applied to hardware, software, materials, sintering and support structure removal. I could tell that many people at the company had been working very hard and a lot had come together to Fig. 1 The Desktop Metal Production System is described as being a hundred make it work. times faster than existing SLM technologies

brings in food and servers daily for lunch, encouraging employees to stay on-site and spend more time with their colleagues. This approach encourages interaction and helps build relationships - it also saves time. Fulop and I had a stand-up and walk-around lunch, partly due to a plane I had to catch, yet I enjoyed it.

Support removal

The company has targeted a market which I believe is more than ready for a system that is relatively inexpensive and reduces time, effort and cost in removing support structures, sometimes referred to as anchors. The support removal process is one of the most significant developments at the company. With metal Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) systems, parts are welded to the build plate. Wire EDM, band saws and other tools and methods are used to remove the parts. The support structures must then be removed, which requires hours of additional time and usually a Fig. 2 Ceramic powder serves as the interface between the part surfaces and lot of manual labour. This process is the support structures. Tapping the parts on a bench top and/or using a small also expensive. ball-peen hammer is usually enough to remove the supports The method developed by Desktop Metal is remarkably fast. Ceramic powder is used as an interface material between the part surface Boston initial public offering in the process made popular by a number and support structures (Fig. 2). The past decade. He was an investor in of licencees of the technology, powder is loose, but stays in place. Proto Labs and Markforged, as well among them Z Corp. (acquired by 3D Tapping a part on a bench top is often as Onshape, a company started by Systems), ExOne (then Extrude Hone), enough for the supports to fall away SolidWorks founder John Hirschtick. Soligen, Specific Surface and Therics. from the part. The surfaces where the Fulop is a graduate of MIT, speaks five The printing of pills and tablets by supports attach to the part are not as languages and is a pilot. Therics was commercialised by good as up-facing surfaces, but are The team of people that Fulop Aprecia Pharmaceuticals in 2016. The no worse than with PBF (Fig. 3). You has assembled is impressive and FDA provided clearance to Aprecia’s almost need to see it or remove the represents some of the best minds fast-dissolving tablet, making it the supports yourself to believe it. I saw it in materials science, Powder first prescription drug made by 3D twice and then I did it myself. Metallurgy, mechanical engineering, printing. software development, inkjet On arriving at Desktop Metal’s technology and marketing. I don’t headquarters I was struck by the Materials recall a start-up in recent history openness of the facility. Everyone, that has brought together so many including Fulop, was working in the Desktop Metal is using metals that accomplished individuals. At the time open on tabletops. I saw more than are identical to those used for Metal of writing, the company employed one stand-up meeting, which is often Injection Moulding and is working a hundred engineers and fourteen more efficient and productive than with AP&C, Carpenter, Sandvik PhDs, including four MIT professors. conventional meetings in conference and others for the supply of metal This talent has led Desktop Metal to rooms. Sofas, easy chairs, table foot- powders. The company produces 138 patent applications. ball and ping pong tables contributed special rods made up of metal and Desktop Metal co-founder Ely to the casual and informal nature of binder that fit into cartridges for the Sachs invented the MIT binder jetting the work space. A catering company Studio machine.

Fig. 3 The propeller on the left shows the up-facing surfaces, while the one on the right shows down-facing surfaces. The support structure is pictured in the centre

Initially, Desktop Metal expects Furnace cycle than a hundred manufacturing plants to make thirty materials available, and 175,000 employees globally. including some of the most popular Parts produced in both systems are On several occasions Fulop told alloys used in a number of industries. processed in a sintering furnace. me that the process is dimension- Among them are 6061 and 7075 Desktop Metal offers a microwave- ally accurate to within 0.2%. This aluminium, 316L stainless steel, enhanced furnace that accelerates translates to +/- 0.02 mm per 10 mm Inconel 625, Ti64, H13 and A2 tool the heating. The microwave part of (0.002 inch per inch). For a dimension steel, and cobalt chrome. Others the system heats the metal from the that is 330 mm (13 inches) in length, include Nvar 36, Kovar F-15, WC-3Co inside, while the thermal subsystem the longest that can be built on the carbide, tungsten chromium and heats from the outside. Together, Studio System, one can expect an ceramic. they ramp up the temperature more accuracy of +/- 0.66 mm (0.026 inch), quickly, provide uniform heating and according to Fulop. enhance the microstructure of the Production speed metal, Fulop explained. Depending on the parts and Design, engineering and Metal PBF systems do not produce materials used, the furnace cycle software development parts quickly and system manufac- can take 2-18 hours. Temperatures turers are addressing the problem range from 600°C to 1,400°C The inside of the Studio machine by applying additional energy, such (1,112°F to 2,552°F). The Studio is cleanly designed. A precision as more powerful lasers and running System produces ‘green’ parts that machined metal casting serves as the two or four of them in parallel. This require debinding in the furnace, main chassis for the print heads. In speeds up the process, but it makes while the Production System addition to mechanical and electrical the systems more complex and produces ‘brown’ parts, which do engineers, the company employs expensive, as well as more costly to not require debinding, thus reducing three full-time industrial designers. I operate. thermal processing time. spent some time with them and they Desktop Metal’s Studio System, The sintering cycle results in know what they are doing. To them, expected to ship in September part shrinkage of about 15%. Fulop functionality and access to the inside 2017, is targeted at low-volume part explained that, as with Metal Injec- of the machine are as important as production. It produces about 16 tion Moulding, shrinkage is predict- product styling and aesthetics. cm3 (1 inch3) per hour, which is not able and is taken into account in Rick Chin, a long-time senior fast, but on par with other material advance. If this is indeed the case, employee at SolidWorks and extrusion systems. The company’s and customers agree, it should not someone I’ve known for many years, much larger binder jetting Production present a problem for production heads up software development. He System, planned for Q2 2018, is applications. Geoffrey Doyle, Head of showed me the build preparation significantly faster. It can process AM Corporate Development at Jabil, software, which is straightforward up to 8,200 cm3 (500 inch3) per hour, explained to me that engineers and provides visual feedback that you which is nearly 100 times faster at his company have positively normally do not see in other systems. than laser-based PBF systems, reviewed the systems from Desktop I was also shown some new software according to Fulop. If this holds true, Metal and they do not view this that could someday have a significant the Production System could turn out aspect of the process as a concern. impact on the way products are to be a workhorse for high volume Jabil is one of the world’s largest designed, but this currently remains production of metal parts. contract manufacturers with more confidential.

Fig. 4 The Desktop Metal co-founders. Sitting: Ric Fulop (CEO), A John Hart (MIT professor) and Jonah Myerberg (CTO). Standing: Yet-Ming Chiang (MIT professor), Chris Schuh (MIT professor), Ely Sachs (MIT professor and inventor of binder jetting) and Rick Chin (VP software)

Commercialisation and is $360,000. Both systems require systems that are much faster and roll-out furnaces for thermal processing. lower in cost to purchase and operate. In the case of the Studio system, a I am not suggesting that Desktop Fulop has cherry-picked some of the $9,900 debinding unit and a $59,900 Metal will achieve this milestone, best engineers for Desktop Metal, sintering furnace are required. I liked but Fulop and his team are working but it does not stop there; he has the Studio System, but I am most hard to be first to produce and ship also secured strong and experienced interested in the possibilities associ- machines in significantly higher people to help market, sell and ated with the Production System. volumes than previously seen. distribute the company’s products. It Fulop and his team are on to is too early to know how the market something that could become big. Author

“Fulop has cherry-picked some of Terry Wohlers Wohlers Associates, Inc. the best engineers for Desktop Metal, Fort Collins but it does not stop there; he has also Colorado 80525 USA secured strong and experienced people www.wohlersassociates.com to help market, sell and distribute the company’s products” Contact

Desktop Metal will warm up to the company and its As the saying goes, the devil is in 63 Third Avenue products, but it looks like Desktop the details, but it looks like they are Burlington, MA. 01803 Metal is on the right track. paying attention to them. In 2016, an USA Fulop stated that both systems are estimated 957 AM systems were sold Tel: +1 978 224 1244 much less expensive to buy, own and that produce metal parts, according Email: [email protected] operate than the metal PBF systems to our research for Wohlers Report www.desktopmetal.com on the market. The Studio System is 2017. This figure could easily grow to $49,900, while the Production System five digits with the availability of AM

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Rapid + TCT 2017: Moving towards affordability and accessibility at North America’s largest AM exhibition

North America’s annual Rapid event has for 27 years been the region’s leading exhibition on Rapid Prototyping and Additive Manufacturing technologies. This year’s event, Rapid + TCT 2017, took place in Pittsburgh from May 8-11 and attracted a record 6,000 attendees from more than 45 countries. Metal AM magazine’s Emily-Jo Hopson attended the event and reports on a theme that is becoming ever more important to the industry as it looks towards new markets - affordability and accessibility.

In May this year Metal Additive engineering and product develop- In a panel discussion on new Manufacturing magazine headed ment backgrounds, recognising the frontiers in metal 3D printing, to the Rapid + TCT 2017 conference advantages potentially offered by Ric Fulop, Founder and CEO of and exhibition, held in Pittsburgh, metal Additive Manufacturing over Desktop Metal, stated, “In five to ten Pennsylvania, USA. Taking place other materials and processes. years, major universities will offer in the John Lawrence Convention Also encouraging was the number comprehensive courses on Design Center, the event saw a 35% increase of student visitors on the Metal AM for Additive Manufacturing.” Philippe in attendees compared to the booth, from PhD candidates involved Cochet, GE’s Chief Productivity previous year, while the exhibitor in high-level research projects with Officer, echoed this prediction count alone grew by 42% to 329 industry suppliers and producers with his statement in the keynote exhibiting companies - no doubt to high school and undergraduate presentation, ‘Brilliant Factory: A aided by a 124% increase in overall students seeking advice on career new era of manufacturing’, that floorspace. The event also hosted a paths into AM. any fulfilment of AM’s potential for number of eminent speakers, among them America Makes’ Rob Gorham, GE’s Philippe Cochet and renowned industry analyst Terry Wohlers. Exhibiting on booth 951, the Metal AM magazine team was consistently impressed by the quality of visitors received, with both senior industry leaders and an array of newcomers to the technology stopping to talk. A common theme amongst many of those who spoke with us when picking up a copy of the magazine shared the same need; a gateway to understanding and adopting metal Additive Manufac- turing into their processes. Those who approached us did so from varied Fig. 1 Terry Wohlers was among a number of eminent conference speakers

The Production System, meanwhile, is designed for the volume Additive Manufacturing of metal parts and, according to Desktop Metal, will be the fastest AM system available for large volumes of high-resolution metal parts. Using the company’s proprietary Single Pass Jetting technology, the Production System is claimed to operate at speeds up to one hundred times faster than most laser-based Additive Manufacturing systems, having the potential to dramatically reduce cost-per-part and allow metal AM to compete with high volume production processes such as casting. Metal AM magazine spoke to Jonah Myerberg, Desktop Metal’s Co-Founder and CTO, about the company’s Rapid debut. “The Desktop Metal team is very excited to be at Rapid,” he stated. “This was a very long time coming and I think we’ve made a big first impression on the industry - we really wanted to put our brand out there. What we’ve shown here really is reflective of our vision from when we started the company, and even before.”

Accessibility and affordability: bringing AM to a wider market By using what it calls Bound Metal Fig. 2 A view of the Rapid 2017 exhibition. The event saw a 35% increase in Deposition technology, Desktop attendees compared to the previous year Metal states that its Studio System will eliminate the need to restrict metal Additive Manufacturing ‘Industry 4.0’ must be supported by Desktop Metal: making systems to large industrial facilities. a learning framework for students waves at Rapid debut In addition, by using cloud-based and staff. software to link stages of the Whether these predictions are According to Desktop Metal, its workflow, the system could help to come to fruition or not, it is clear forthcoming Studio and Production eliminate the need for dedicated that the ease of access to metal systems mark a ‘fundamental operators, making it possible to print Additive Manufacturing technology shift’ in the way products will be designs directly from PC-based CAD is a primary concern for established developed and brought to market, software. businesses and would-be engineers reducing production costs and The system also features Desktop alike. This is an issue which of increasing speed, safety and Metal’s proprietary Separable course extends beyond education flexibility. Designed as the first Supports, a type of support structure alone; the overall accessibility and ‘office-friendly’ metal Additive which can be removed safely and affordability of metal AM was a Manufacturing system, the Studio easily by hand, along with swappable theme that was seen reinforced System is claimed to be significantly print cartridges for rapid material across the week’s event, with an cheaper than existing technologies changes. It is reportedly compatible increasing number of companies and is sold as a complete platform, with a large variety of metal alloys, competing to provide the most fluid, including a printer, debinder and making it possible to prototype parts easy-to-use technologies at the microwave-enhanced sintering in the material that will be used in most affordable price. furnace. mass production, for example.

Fig. 3 Desktop Metal’s Studio system

Each of these features is designed involved in. So, we said we should a desktop environment,” explained to contribute to bringing metal AM to start a company and do it right.” Myerberg. “He wanted it to be familiar the wider market. This is a mission “We went into MIT’s Material to the user, and safe, and for engi- fueled in no small part by Myerberg’s Science Labs and grabbed really neers to feel that they could have the frustrations as an end-user of the smart, bright professors, including system next to their desk and work on technology as far back as 2005 when Yet-Ming Chiang, Chris Schuh, John prints throughout the day, not have to he and Ric Fulop, Desktop Metal’s Hart, Ely Sachs and a number of suit up and go down to the lab each CEO, worked together at battery strong PhDs of engineering and time a prototype was being built.” company A123 Systems, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, producing batteries for use in Formula 1 cars, “In the past eighteen months we’ve power tools and hybridised power plants, among other applications. been able to put together a brand When the team first began new printer, a brand new furnace, a investigating the metal AM market with a view to developing their own debinding centre and new software” technology, Myerberg told Metal AM magazine, “the scaling of metal Additive Manufacturing was taking materials, and started looking at all Desktop Metal was founded in place on kind of a different plane; the of the processes that could make October 2015 with a strong group of machines were getting larger and additive with metal really accessible initial investors, including GE and they were getting more expensive, to engineers; steering it in the other Stratasys. “Thanks to the funding and and to mass produce metal parts direction – let’s make the machines because of the amount of pre-existing by AM you had to buy thousands of smaller, let’s make them safer, less technology, we were able to move very machines, instead of buying one complicated, let’s make something quickly,” stated Myerberg. “In the past machine that produced thousands that would fit in your office.” eighteen months we’ve been able to of parts. We thought it was headed The company’s name evokes put together a brand new printer, a in the wrong direction. That wasn’t the same accessible, user-friendly new furnace, a debinding centre and the right type of technology to get experience. “Ric wanted it to be new software.”

for consumers of the new Desktop Metal technology who we expect to come from all major industrial sectors. Our strength in materials science and atomising technology is a perfect complement to Desktop Metal’s strengths in machine design and process knowledge.” Sandvik Osprey has a production capacity of over 4.5 million kg (10 million lbs) and a product database exceeding 3,000 alloys. The company offers a comprehensive range of products from stainless steels to nickel base super alloys, cobalt alloys, tool steels, low alloy steels, copper and aluminium alloys and is also able to customise materials according to customer preferences. Fig. 4 Components on display on the Desktop Metal booth that demonstrate the Desktop Metal also extended its company’s unique support technology existing partnership with Stratasys, designed to accelerate accessibility and adoption of metal Additive Providing a fully integrated at and worked with metal Additive Manufacturing. Following the release workflow, Myerberg said, is key. “It’s Manufacturing,” Myerberg concluded. of the Stratasys FDM-based F123 very important. We didn’t want to “We built the company around that.” Series, Stratasys stated it believed just launch a printer, or give people that customers would benefit from the ability to print green bodies Working with established AM the complementary nature of its and not finish them. That was a leaders technology and Desktop Metal’s frustration for us with the laser During Rapid, Desktop Metal – including the ability to expedite bed fusion processes. These metal announced a new partnership with product development cycles by AM processes alone don’t give you Sandvik Osprey and extended its producing both plastic and metal the full range of products that you existing partnership with Stratasys. prototypes in an office-friendly need to finish the part. As an end Sandvik Osprey Ltd, based in Neath, environment. user of 3D printing, I hated that. Tell UK, was named as a preferred “Stratasys has always been me the whole story - in addition to supplier of metal powders and focused on providing customers this DMLS machine, what else do I will supply the company with high with cutting-edge Additive Manu- need? A furnace to heat treat? HIP performance alloys for each of facturing innovations,” stated Ilan Levin, CEO, Stratasys. “Today our offerings are used by customers worldwide – across automotive, “As one of the early investors in Desktop aerospace, healthcare, education and consumer products – to achieve Metal, we realise customers are rapid prototyping, tooling and seeking additional ways to incorporate manufacturing processes. As one of the early investors in Desktop Metal, metal into their essential design and we realise customers are seeking manufacturing processes” additional ways to incorporate metal into their essential design and manufacturing processes. Today’s announcement takes this commit- to densify? It was the same with its systems, “We are excited to be ment one step further – empowering other processes - if you don’t tie the working with Desktop Metal and its global manufacturers and engineers furnace and the sintering process to world-class team of experts,” stated to expedite product development the geometry of the part you print, Richard Park, Managing Director of cycles by producing both plastic and you could be in trouble. We wanted Sandvik Osprey. “We look forward metal parts in office-friendly and to change the way people looked to supporting the growth in demand production-based environments.”

System shipments The first round of Desktop Metal’s Studio System machines will be shipped to their users in September 2017. “The next thing we want to do is support our customers,” Myerberg told Metal AM. “It would be really tempting to dive right into the next technology that we have; our team back in Boston, including Ely Sachs, is working on the next big thing in metal AM and they’re very excited about it – but the team that designed this printer is not going to be transi- tioned onto those projects until our customers are happy. Over the course of the next six months, we’re going to build printers, refine software and launch the products, and support the customers throughout.”

Xact Metal: Targeting R&D centres and SMEs with an afforable laser-based system

Established as a metal Additive Manufacturing systems provider in early 2017, Xact Metal debuted with the XM200 machine at Rapid, joining the list of companies competing to make their metal AM systems Fig. 5 Xact Metal debuted with the XM200 machine at Rapid + TCT 2017 affordable for small-to-midsized companies, research labs and universities. “Priced at $120,000, the XM200 is our first industrial Metal AM visited Xact Metal modern software architecture is 3D printer, offering outstanding at Rapid to view the system. The streamlined, intuitive and supportive performance and affordability,” stated XM200 features a build volume of visual workflows. And with a Juan Mario Gomez, Xact Metal’s CEO. of approximately 2,048 cm3 compact footprint, the XM200 allows “We believe it will make a big impact (12.7x12.7x12.7 cm / 5x5x5 in), a customers to put one or several on customers’ Additive Manufacturing 250 W fibre laser and a patent- systems in their work areas.” Orders needs.” pending high-speed scanner which for the XM200 printer are now being Matt Woods, Xact Metal’s fuses at speeds of up to 1.5 m/s. taken, with shipments starting Chief Technology Officer, laid the In addition, Woods explained that September 2017. foundation for the venture when its laser beam is fitted so as to be Xact Metal also offers an he recognised the need for higher constantly orthogonal across the on-demand direct metal printing performance, more sustainable entire powder bed surface, enabling service, Xact Fusion, allowing and more affordable Additive the system to produce consistent end-users to source custom- Manufacturing. Xact Metal, states the fusing characteristics throughout the designed parts. Using Xact Fusion company, will change the perception complete build area. gives customer access to the that AM is only for capital-rich “The XM200 is designed with the XM200’s build volume for printing in companies. The company has needs of customers in mind,” stated 316L stainless steel, while Inconel received funding from Ben Franklin Woods. “The large build volume 718 superalloy, titanium 6AI 4V, Technology Partners and operates gives great flexibility to print a aluminium Si10Mg and maraging out of Penn State University’s variety of parts. The system is highly steel are in development. Innovation Park, Pennsylvania, USA. accessible and easy to use and its

that on paper are perfect candidates for additive weren’t adopting it and the price of the market throughout the whole eco-system, among other things. I found that there was no secure network that allowed engineers to connect in real-time to industrial grade service providers – not desktop or prototyping houses – at a secure level.” “We launched the API in February 2017 and have 140+ industrial grade service bureaus on our system in 29 countries. This gives us access to over 670 machines; of those machines, 60% are metal.” In addition, he said, “Almost all of our service bureaus have some kind of industry-grade certification – these are companies that know how to bring parts to market.” Fox and Singh gave Metal AM a demonstration of the platform’s capabilities, inputting the requirements for Fig. 6 A screenshot of the LINK3D system. LINK3D believes that the ever- an imagined FDA certified project. On expanding growth of metal AM creates a crucial need for companies to have inputting the FDA requirement, the access to the right partners when designing and manufacturing additively RFQ form smartly adjusted to reflect made parts the needs of that project, removing redundant fields and adding those specific to FDA certified projects, LINK3D: Using RFQ to facilitate these connections, with allowing the user to select further technology to reduce the a particular focus on the larger certification requirements. All files industries such as aerospace, uploaded by the user during this stage barriers to AM automotive, medical, consumer are securely encrypted using standard goods, defence and electronics. military grade encryption and stored After two years of research and “Our mission is to make Additive on LINK3D’s server, making the development, software company Manufacturing accessible to anyone, process suitable, in theory, for even LINK3D, New York, USA, used Rapid anywhere, at any time,” stated Shane classified projects. “We’re really trying 2017 for its official launch. The Fox, LINK3D’s CEO. “We serve a to separate ourselves from the Buy company’s secure internet-based diverse group of industries, focused Your Part Now websites and focus on platform, also titled LINK3D, aims to on metal and polymer production.” the industrial grade,” added Fox. help connect engineers to Additive The LINK3D team is comprised In tandem with its mission of Manufacturing service providers. of several additive experts who increased accessibility, LINK3D has Its proprietary technology provides have built and maintained global a second function as a type of data engineers with a fully automated partnerships with AM service bank, collecting and collating data to Request-for-Quote (RFQ) process to providers in more than twenty enable the team to learn more about identify vetted Additive Manufacturing countries, giving engineers access to the way clients and manufacturers partners from around the world over 241 unique metal and polymer communicate and the ways in and, according to LINK3D, offers the materials and 163 unique machine which processes are handled, Fox largest network of AM machine and models. explains. “We’re collecting some material representation available. Metal AM visited LINK3D’s booth really interesting information. In a LINK3D believes that the ever- at Rapid, where we spoke to Shane matter of two weeks, some of our expanding growth of metal AM Fox and Vishal Singh, CTO, about clients gave us permission to watch creates a crucial need for companies LINK3D’s aims. “I was studying the them communicate with their service to have access to the right partners industry, looking for gaps,” explained providers. In doing so, we’re finding when designing and producing AM Fox. “I was looking at intellectual out things we didn’t know; it’s an parts. Using intelligent data-driven property security and barriers to education on the potential of the tools algorithms, the new platform aims entry. I was looking at why companies and the fixes.”

Fig. 7 The InstAMetal interface is expected to allow GKN to quote and accept orders 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while ensuring that all designs are optimised for Additive Manufacturing

Among the less than two dozen orders twenty-four hours a day, seven to a distributed network of digitised beta testers invited to test the plat- days a week, while ensuring that all AM production centres. Using this form was Dr Gavi Feuer, a Biomedical designs are optimised for Additive system, engineers and designers can Engineer. “As an engineer in the Manufacturing. access a real time comparison of Additive Manufacturing industry,” he Described as an “intuitive quoting delivery time and costs from GKN’s stated, “one of the biggest challenges and design experience for metal AM”, services. The automated quoting is to find the right partners to produce InstAMetal is expected to introduce process also helps engineers make your designs. LINK3D is a truly a number of tools to aid customers intelligent decisions when selecting unique tool that reduces search time, with feasibility analyses of parts to materials and production facilities to increases selection parameters and be produced. Its digital management keep projects on-time and on-budget. adds confidence to the final decision- tools also guarantee higher machine The platform will also enable GKN making process regarding pricing up-time and ensure accurate produc- to load-balance their production when choosing the appropriate tion and streamlined workflows. “For resources. Using InstAMetal’s queue manufacturing partner.” businesses to stay competitive as they optimisation, the company can ensure move towards small-batch and just- that machines are being used to in-time production, they will need to capacity and transfer priority projects GKN InstAMetal: Intuitive ensure that high-quality components between facilities. quoting and design are prepared correctly – every time,” experience for metal AM stated Aleksander Ciszek, CEO of CGTech Vericut: Hybrid 3YOURMIND. “By adding our eCom- Also launched during Rapid was merce platform to GKN’s industrial simulation technology InstAMetal, GKN Sinter Metals’ new production, we are making huge e-commerce platform for Additive strides towards companies utilising CGTech, Irvine, California, USA, Manufacturing, currently in its beta the potential of Industry 4.0.” introduced its new Additive Manufac- phase. Developed in conjunction According to the company’s turing simulation capabilities at Rapid. with 3YOURMIND, Berlin, Germany, website, GKN’s primary goal is to The addition of an additive module the InstAMetal interface is expected make their technology easily acces- to the company’s propriety Vericut to allow GKN to quote and accept sible, with a single online entry point software enables users to simulate

students, educators and industry professionals to prepare students for careers in manufacturing. “Additive Manufacturing is a rapidly developing market and the evolution of the technology is quickly outpacing product design and development,” stated the team behind Tooling U-SME. “As a result, there is a recognised need for continuous training and development to ensure that the manufacturing workforce keeps up with the latest advancements.” According to ‘Wohlers Report Fig. 8 Vericut Additive module verifies laser functions, detects collisions, and 2017’, the Additive Manufacturing checks material deposition industry achieved revenues of $6.063 billion in 2016 – and with growth of 4.3 times that forecast over the next the machining capabilities, both potential problems that can occur five years, the market is estimated additive and traditional, of hybrid CNC when integrating additive methods. to reach about $26.2 billion by 2022. machines. The simulation uses the same post- “Restructuring the workforce to Launched in 1988, Vericut is processed NC code used to drive accommodate increased Additive a software platform designed to simu- the CNC machine, allowing users to Manufacturing operations is a major late CNC machining in order to detect virtually experiment with combining concern for companies that want to errors, potential collisions or areas of additive and subtractive metal ramp up work in this market,” stated inefficiency. It is used by companies, processes to determine optimal Jeannine Kunz, Vice President of universities and government agen- safe hybrid machining production Tooling U-SME. “More and more, cies in more than 55 countries. By methods. manufacturers are increasing the simulating CNC processes, it enables “This gives our customers a number of additive-made parts in users to eliminate the process of competitive edge to redefine current products, so having a workforce manually proving-out NC programs production technology,” continued with the right skills to use this and reduces scrap loss and rework. Granata. “Vericut’s realistic simula- new technology is an increasingly The software also optimises NC tion of the entire hybrid process important priority for companies and programmes to save time and enables customers to verify that schools.” produce a higher quality surface finish the part will be built correctly, As a founder of Rapid + TCT, and is reportedly capable of simu- without causing damage to the SME has been at the forefront of lating all types of CNC machining. It part, machine, or expensive laser Additive Manufacturing for almost can also be integrated with all leading equipment.” three decades. Its partnership CAM systems. with America Makes led to the Now, CGTech also works with its development of the Additive customers and technology partners Tooling U-SME: A focus on Manufacturing Leadership to solve AM challenges including training and development Initiative, a collaborative working accurate laser cladding and material group representing SME, America deposition, detecting collisions In the field of additive education, Makes, the National Coalition of between the machine and additive Tooling U-SME, SME’s workforce Advanced Technology Centers, the part and locating errors, voids and development segment, launched a Milwaukee School of Engineering misplaced material. portfolio of Additive Manufacturing and Technician Education in Additive “Additive Manufacturing applica- learning and development solutions, Manufacturing and Materials. tions create new possibilities for for which the first certification The new Additive Manufacturing manufacturers,” stated Gene Granata, exams took place at Rapid. During Fundamentals Certification is Vericut Product Manager. “Adding the event, SME also announced that reportedly the first and only this technology to Vericut provides it had received an additional grant nationally normalised, stackable unique solutions that address the of $300,000 from Arconic for the or sequential credential process needs of our customers in the rapidly expansion of its PRIME (Partner- in Additive Manufacturing and expanding AM market.” Scheduled for ship Response in Manufacturing serves as a prerequisite for the next release in early Autumn 2017, Vericut Education) initiative, founded in 2011 phase, the Additive Manufacturing 8.1 will add the ability to identify to build a collaborative network of Technician Certification, which SME

Fig. 9 Exhibitor count grew by 42% to a total of 329 exhibiting companies

stated will be rolled out later in Conclusion Rapid + TCT 2018 2017. These stackable certifications may lead to Additive Manufacturing Whilst this report does not hope to Rapid + TCT 2018 takes place in the apprenticeships such as those cover all of the innovations presented Fort Worth Convention Center supported by Tooling U-SME through at Rapid, it is clear from this small Fort Worth, Texas, USA, from April the U.S. Department of Labor’s sampling that there is strong 23-26, 2018. Registered Apprenticeship Program. recognition among metal AM solu- “Tooling U-SME works with tions providers of the need to make www.rapid3devent.com companies and educational the technology more approachable for institutions to build holistic workforce prospective users. learning and development solutions By making metal AM technology that align to our certification and more accessible and affordable, the apprenticeship programs,” added workflow more fluid and the supply Kunz. “Through our turnkey training, chain more connected, the industry online classes, instructor-led stands to achieve significant gains in training and supporting video its user base. This is clearly evidenced materials, we’re able to provide by the rapid growth of companies the incumbent and future Additive which approach the market with Manufacturing workforce with accessibility at the core of their aims. industry-leading training that will ensure their success in the market.” Preparation for the Additive Author Certifications is supported by eight online classes offered by Emily-Jo Hopson Tooling U-SME. These classes Assistant Editor were developed in conjunction with Metal Additive Manufacturing Cuyahoga Community College in Tel: +44 1743 211994 Cleveland, USA. [email protected]

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The inspection and quality control of metal AM parts with X-ray Computed Tomography (micro CT)

X-ray Computed Tomography (micro CT) is just one option for the inspection of metal AM parts. Other options include using eddy current, ultrasonic technology, white-light interferometry and non-interferometric optics. However, given recent developments, it is micro CT that has the most potential in view of its unique capability for the inspection of complex internal structures and geometries without destroying the part. The capabilities of this inspection method are presented by Andrew Ramsey and Herminso Villarraga-Gomez of Nikon Metrology Inc.

X-ray Computed Tomography about $11 billion in 2015 and is US Industrial Manufacturing,” Price (micro CT) is the only non-destructive forecast to reach $27 billion by 2019. Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) stated testing method that is able to effec- Another company, Marketsand- that, compared to two years ago, tively inspect - with measurement Markets, is predicting that Additive more manufacturers (52% this year strategies from coordinate dimen- Manufacturing will experience 30% compared to 38% in 2014) expect sional metrology - volume defects and compound annual growth and reach Additive Manufacturing to be used in complex geometry inside a part. Eddy $30 billion by 2022. In its April 2016 high-volume production in the next current testing can only inspect local study, “3D Printing Comes of Age in three to five years. defects near the surface of a part, while ultrasonics can inspect only simple geometries near the surface with some reach inside the volume. Optical and interferometric methods can only inspect features at the surface of the part. While the latter (interferometric) techniques are very good at achieving higher resolutions (up to a few nm), the micro CT technique can cover, in a single scan, external and internal surfaces, with micrometre-level resolution and, in some cases, at higher resolutions below the micrometer level (on the order of a few hundred nanometers). The growing interest in micro CT comes at a time when interest in Additive Manufacturing is redefining the manufacturing landscape. Consulting firm IDC states that global spending on AM equipment, both desktop and industrial, reached Fig. 1 A Nikon Metrology XT H225 ST X-ray CT system

Fig. 2 Scans can reveal external and internal features for checking

Metal AM parts are increasingly are present, how large they are (both Welds need to be inspected, being considered for the reduction individually and in total) and where so why not AM parts too? of component weight without they occur. Additionally, it is critical to compromising strength, for example know whether the dimensions of the Using conventional manufacturing in aerospace applications where part conform to those of the design. processes, one would always inspect decreased weight leads to increased In such cases, X-ray Computed a weld for voids and inclusions. In efficiency. For such safety-critical Tomography is a powerful tool. By metal Additive Manufacturing, the aerospace components, as well as supplying a full 3D density map of whole sample is essentially one large applications in automotive, energy a sample, micro CT gives all this weld, so not to inspect it for voids, and medical devices, it is essential information in an easy-to-read visual inclusions and dimensional accuracy to know whether voids or inclusions format. would be a huge leap of faith in the process. Because of the complex nature of metal Additive Manufac- turing processes such as Powder Bed Fusion, where for example there is the risk of risk of loose, partially melted powder in the build chamber, the position and nature of defects is often totally random. With traditional manufacturing processes, a few radiographs at specific orientations can often give peace of mind. However, with layer-based Additive Manufacturing processes the whole part needs to be inspected. When checking the structural integrity of these parts, it is primarily the following issues that are of concern:

• Powder residues blocking channels

• Defects (voids and inclusions) – Fig. 3 Blocked channels are revealed without destroying the part [1] porosity, contamination, cracking

Part to CAD comparison for AM1 and AM2 Internal spatial deformations in the flexures Variance [mm] 0.25 Z = -18.89 mm

0.20

0.15 AM1 0.10

0.05

0.00 CAD -0.05

-0.10

-0.15 AM2

-0.20

-0.25 AM1 AM2 100 mm

Fig. 4 Left: part-to-CAD comparison for FDM and STL versions of the same part, right: Flexure deformations revealed by CT scans

• Departure from the CAD material it is made from and the Stereolithography (STL). For refer- model – dimensional analysis, energy of the X-ray source, measured ence, the FDM and STL processes wall thickness measurements, in kilovolts (kV). Larger, lower density have, in general, printing resolution warping. samples can be scanned, as can of approximately 100 μm and 0.5 μm, smaller, higher density samples. respectively. As an example, a mould made by Typical largest samples are: Micro CT scans show variance Selective Laser Melting was designed analysis for both AM1 and AM2 flex- to make a small knocker for a watch • 225 kV – aluminium piston heads; ures against the original CAD model mechanism. Micro CT could deter- diesel injectors (Fig. 4, left). From the measurements, mine the cooling and flow channels • 450 kV – aluminium cylinder it can be seen that deviations from built in by the metal AM process to heads; aircraft turbine blades the nominal geometry (CAD model) an accuracy of 5-10 µm, depending rise up to ±0.25 mm and larger when on acquisition parameters. From flow Maximum part size also tends to be using the AM1 process. In contrast, and cooling simulations, this is known limited by the size of the detector, but the AM2 process generated part- to be of sufficient accuracy for the also by the penetrating power of the to-CAD deviations mostly between purpose. X-rays. This decreases as material ±0.1 mm, with a few exceptions, In fact, micro-CT can find defects density and atomic number increases. particularly around surface edges within samples down to a resolution Much greater thicknesses of poly- or corners. In addition to external given by the number of pixels across meric materials can be penetrated checks, a cross section of AM1 shows the detector. Given a sample 100 mm than steel, and much more steel than residual internal and spatial deforma- across and a detector 2000 px across, tungsten. tions (Fig. 4, right). On the other hand, the limiting resolution would be the manufactured part generated by CT scanning case study 50 µm. Resolution is also limited the AM2 process does not reveal the by the focal spot size of the X-ray An investigation into the micro CT presence of major deformations in the source, which may range from 80 µm scanning methods for a flexure thin-walled flexure leaf structures. for high energies down to less than mechanism fabricated by Additive 1 µm for low energies. Defects below Manufacturing offers insight into the nominal resolution may also the capabilities of the process [2]. Rules of micro CT and when be spotted if the contrast with the Whilst this research was in relation to to break them surrounding material is great enough. polymeric products, the principles and For example, given a 3 µm X-ray focal benefits apply equally to metal AM High-accuracy micro CT technology spot, we can still see a 0.5 µm gold applications. A first flexure sample has continued to evolve over the past foil edge-on. (AM1) was manufactured by Fused ten years. Applications are diverse The size of sample which can be Deposition Modelling (FDM). A second and growing across the automotive, scanned with CT depends on the sample (AM2) was manufactured by aerospace, energy, medical and

Fig. 5 CT scan of a Nikon SLR camera demonstrating what can be achieved with the technology

consumer sectors, dealing with 4. Always use 360° rotation When the electrons hit the target, metals and exotic alloys as well as 5. Use the detector’s full dynamic X-rays are created by two different plastics and other workpiece mate- range atomic processes: rials. Accompanying software tools 6. Keep the object in the field of enable the analysis of part volume 1. With enough energy, the electron view against the CAD model, either via can knock an orbital electron out direct volume-to-CAD comparisons, of the inner electron shell of a X-ray basics or through geometric dimensioning metal atom. As a result, electrons X-rays are at the short end of the and tolerance measurements. With from higher energy levels fill up electromagnetic spectrum with an costs now low enough to make it the vacancy and X-ray photons are average wavelength between 10-8 competitive with other techniques, emitted. This process produces and 10-12 metres, around the size micro CT can now be considered an emission spectrum of X-rays of water molecules, compared to for application in many broader at a few discrete frequencies, radio waves whose wavelengths metrology applications. sometimes referred to as could span a soccer field. There are A better understanding of the rules characteristic emission lines no radioactive sources in micro CT; of micro CT not only opens the door to rather electrons are produced from production cost savings and produc- 2. Bremstrahlung (decelerating or a hot filament similar to a light bulb tivity improvement, but knowing “braking” radiation in German): and accelerated at high voltage, when to break them can provide even This is radiation given off by the reaching speeds of roughly 80% of further process flexibility. The rules electrons as they are scattered by the speed of light. They are fired at for good micro CT are as follows: the strong electric field near the a metal target through a magnetic high-Z (proton number) nuclei. lens that focuses the beam energy These X-rays have a continuous 1. Penetrate the sample from all into a spot between 1-5 µm in spectrum. The intensity of the angles diameter. The sudden deceleration X-rays increases with decreasing 2. Minimise noise in each projection of the charged electrons when they frequency image hit the metal target produces more 3. Use filters to reduce beam than 99% heat and less than 1% X-rays travel in straight lines hardening X-rays. through the object being inspected

Fig. 6 CT image by Herminso Villarraga-Gómez demonstrating the capabilities of micro CT technology. From left to right: an Edison-style incandescent bulb, a fluorescent light bulb and an LED bulb

and onto a detector. The object will computer. These panels can have geometric magnification can be used absorb some of the X-rays (denser pixel sizes over a wide range and to gain a higher-resolution image objects absorbing more), leaving only sensitivities up to 16 bits (64 k grey (Fig. 7) a portion to reach the detector. At low levels). X-ray energies (<60 kV), differences The sensitivity of the detector Micro CT overview of absorption along the X-ray path to relates in part to the size of the X-ray Combine the penetrating power of the detector are detected and shown source. A lot of typical high-power X-rays and the ever-increasing data- as a shadow image. At higher X-ray X-ray sources are minifocus, in the processing power of the computer and energies (60-225 kV), absorption and range of 1 mm across. This limits Computed Tomography is the result. scatter occur. This scatter reduces the resolution of images to that of The fundamental setup includes contrast in the image. With X-ray energies above 225 kV, scatter becomes an increasing problem “Combine the penetrating power for an area detector. Above 225 kV, scatter can be rejected from the of X-rays and the ever-increasing detected signal by a linear detector, data-processing power of although throughput decreases (fewer images per hour). At greater than the computer and Computed 300–400 kV, scatter is the dominant Tomography is the result” contrast mechanism, i.e., more X-rays leave the beam from scatter than from absorption. the detector: a very fine detector is an X-ray source, the object being Amorphous silicon flat-panel needed to get high resolution and no measured and a detector. A rotating detectors have a fluorescent screen, magnification is possible. Microfocus platform for the object being imaged which converts the X-ray energy into means the size of the X-ray source aids comply with Rules 1 (penetrate light to form an image on an array is only a few microns across. With the sample from all angles), 4 (always of light-sensitive diodes. Electronics a microfocus source, a standard use 360° rotation), and 6 (keep the allow this image to be read by a medical detector can be used and object in the field of view).

Microfocus source Typical medical (~5 μm) X-ray source (~1 mm)

Object

Fig. 7 A minifocus source (around 1 mm) allows no magnification, whereas a microfocus source (1-5 µm) can be magni- fied to produce higher-resolution images

Thousands of digital images can Unfortunately, imperfections or Beam-hardening is the self- be produced from a single sample ‘artefacts’ can occur in CT data and filtering of the X-rays by the sample, and each two-dimensional pixel in can affect measurements consider- so the X-rays have a higher energy each image contributes to a three- ably. Recall rule 2: “Minimise noise inside the sample and are therefore dimensional ‘voxel’ as computer in each projection image.” Noise can more penetrating. Because of this, algorithms reconstruct 3D volumes. appear as speckles in slice images, the measured X-ray linear attenuation For example, with 3000 images, each but can be minimised by maximising is lower inside the sample than at voxel in the resulting billion or so in the X-ray dose. the edges, thus giving rise to beam- the volume is processed 3000 times. There is also non-linear detector hardening, or ‘cupping’ artefacts. The result is a 3D volumetric map of noise in the projection images that Beam-hardening can be reduced the object, where each voxel is a 3D stays in the same position for all by pre-filtering the X-ray beam cube with a discrete location (x,y,z) projection images. As images form, (placing a filter over the output and a density. Not only is the external this noise is reconstructed as circular window of the X-ray source, as per surface information known, such rings, i.e., ‘ring artefacts’. Noise in rule 3). It can also be corrected, to as with a 3D point cloud from laser the reference images gives the worst some extent, by using the beam- scanning, but internal surfaces and ring artefacts because it is re-used hardening correction filters in the additional information about what to correct each projection image and CT software. This works best with single-material samples. It is important to use the full range “Thousands of digital images can be of the detector, as per Rule 5. Higher dynamic-range detectors (more produced from a single sample and each bits) help detect small differences in two-dimensional pixel in each image intensity due to low-density materials, such as plastics, in the presence of contributes to a three-dimensional ‘voxel’ as high-density materials, such as metal. computer algorithms reconstruct 3D volumes” Streak artefacts are caused by beam hardening or lack of penetration of the X-ray beam through the sample. Lack of penetration can be is in between the surfaces from the therefore amplified. Noise in the black solved by increasing the X-ray energy fourth dimension (density) is provided. reference image is more significant (kV) – unless, of course, you are at the Furthermore, ‘slices’ produced by the than noise in the white reference maximum for the system. process and accompanying software image because the signal is lower Streak artefacts can be reduced by can yield much information without in the black image, so the signal-to- filtering the beam, applying a beam- destroying the part. noise is also less. hardening correction, or by using a Image intensity, then, becomes Ring artefacts are stronger nearer detector with a high dynamic range. the basis for measuring the sample. the axis of rotation because fewer Scattered radiation can be reduced by In CT, what is being measured is reference image pixels are used. They collimating the X-ray beam and the the linear attenuation of the X-rays, can be minimised by averaging many detector to detect only those X-rays or how much one unit of length of frames when collecting black and that travel in a straight line from the material reduces X-ray intensity. white reference images. source to the detector.

Following the rules will give the parts can be automated for loading best-possible CT results for full and unloading. Scan times down to Inovar Communications Ltd metrology purposes and is general a few tens of seconds per part are good practice. However, if you need possible. Users gain: qualitative information (is a crack present or not, what is the sample’s • Better insight into the inside of Discover the porosity, how many densities are metal AM parts present, is an electrical connection • Faster optimisation of the main world of metal made or broken), or the information prototyping and production needed will not be affected by the processes powders artefacts, then rules can be broken. • Quality control – much higher confidence in incoming and Rule 1: Penetrate the sample at all outgoing parts • Download the latest angles; Rule 6: Keep the object in the issue in PDF format, field of view • Reduced costs by avoiding If the material not in view is relatively destructive testing free of charge homogenous and uniform in shape, then it will only add a small ring at As AM continues to rewrite the • Browse our extensive the edge. Internal features will be manufacturing rulebook, X-ray archive of past issues easily visible and usable. This allows Computed Tomography can be a us to zoom in and see more detail. If powerful partner for non-destructively assuring geometrical tolerances and • Read the latest the feature being analysed is near the industry news centre of the scan, or if the size of the the assessment of internal defects. feature is much larger than a single • Sign-up for the PM pixel, then the number of projections Authors can be reduced to speed up the scan. Review e-newsletter Andrew Ramsey Rule 2: Minimise the noise in each Herminso Villarraga-Gomez projection image Nikon Metrology Inc. If time is limited, reducing the noise 12701 Grand River Ave, in the black and white reference Brighton, MI 48116, USA images will reduce the overall noise [email protected] significantly without greatly increasing [email protected] the length of the whole scan. www.nikonmetrology.com

Rule 5: Use the whole dynamic range of the detector References When inspecting very low density specimens, very low energy X-rays [1] Villarraga-Gómez et al (including are used to give good contrast in the Ramsey A.), Assessing the Structural images. To fill the dynamic range Integrity of Additive Manufactured requires long exposures. Halving Metal Parts with X-ray CT, Proc. the exposure only loses one bit of ASPE/euspen 2016 Summer Topical information but saves a lot of time. Meeting, Raleigh, NC, Volume: 64, June 2016. www.researchgate.net/ publication/304539205_Assessing_ Conclusion the_Structural_Integrity_of_Additive_ Manufactured_Metal_Parts_with_X- The rules of CT come out of the theory ray_CT of CT reconstruction. Following the rules means you will most likely [2] Herminso Villarraga et al, generate the best-quality CT data. Assessing Additive Manufacturing However, sometimes breaking the Processes with X-ray CT Metrology, rules can save a lot of time without as presented at the 2015 ASPE Spring compromising significantly on image Topical Meeting, Raleigh, NC USA. quality. www.researchgate.net/publica- Micro CT is now much faster and tion/283119260_Assessing_Additive_ more suitable for production-line Manufacturing_Processes_with_X- www.pm-review.com use. Moreover, CT scanning of similar ray_CT_Metrology

Organizing Committee of World PM2018 Exhibition IRIS Exhibitions Service Co., Ltd ● Tel: 4000778909 ● E-mail: [email protected]

Markforged: Taking a different approach to metal Additive Manufacturing

In January this year Markforged Inc., based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, announced its Atomic Diffusion Additive Manufacturing (ADAM) process along with the Metal X production system. The company is more widely known for its successful development of composite printing technology, introduced in 2014. In the following report Ian Campbell and Terry Wohlers discuss ‘indirect’ metal AM systems and outline the advantages and disadvantages of such systems in relation to commercial production.

Metal Additive Manufacturing has which used RapidSteel powder Producing dense metal received a great deal of attention in consisting of polymer-coated steel parts the past few years and some may particles. The laser melted and see it as a fairly recent development. fused the polymer, resulting in a Using Powder Bed Fusion and However, commercially available green part that was later sintered. other AM processes to directly build metal AM systems have been around The resulting part was made up of dense metal parts offers significant for over two decades. The earliest about 60% steel and 40% bronze. advantages over RapidTool-like commercial systems were often Fig. 1 shows a part made by the processes. It is a simpler procedure referred to as ‘indirect’ metal AM RapidTool process. overall with no requirement for binder because the parts they produced were not made in a direct process from a single material. Instead, ‘green parts’ were produced that were a mixture of a metal powder and a binder material such as a polymer. These parts were thermally processed to remove the binder, resulting in about 40% porosity. During this thermal stage of the process, sintering would fuse the metal particles. At the same time, infiltration of a lower melting point metal, such as bronze, would fill much of the porosity. One such system was DTM’s Powder Bed Fusion process, commonly known as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). A special metal version of SLS was called RapidTool, Fig. 1 A RapidTool part (Courtesy Land Rover)

Fig. 2 A pulley manufactured using Markforged’s Metal X system Fig. 3 The Metal X system

burnout, sintering or infiltration. region of $250,000 to more than $1.5 The Metal X system The high-power lasers or electron million. This is well beyond the reach beams used result in parts that of many companies and educational The Metal X system from Markforged are often 99% dense or higher and institutions. uses an ‘indirect’ metal AM process typically offer properties that are ‘Indirect’ metal AM systems are that the company has named Atomic superior to castings and similar to still available today and one of the Diffusion Additive Manufacturing those of wrought materials. The most established is the binder jetting (ADAM) and is based on material range of alloys available is also system which has been sold by ExOne extrusion. It has a base price of steadily increasing and already since 2001, originally under the $99,500. The system uses a combi- includes many of the most often ExtrudeHone name and ownership. nation of metal powders and polymer used for aerospace, medical, dental Available alloys include stainless that are formed into rods that are and other applications. However, the steel, Inconel, cobalt–chrome, bronze, held in a cartridge near the top of high-power energy sources in the iron and several refractory metals. the machine. The metal powders systems, coupled with their relatively Similar to the early SLS RapidTool are the same as those used in metal slow processing speed, result in system, parts from these machines Powder Bed Fusion but are ‘locked’ into the polymer. Consequently, they do not become airborne, so toxicity and flammability risks are “The material mix is deposited in greatly reduced. The material mix a manner similar to most material is deposited in a manner similar to most material extrusion machines. extrusion machines. The part then goes The part then goes through a one- step thermal process in a vacuum through a one-step thermal process in a furnace to achieve up to 99.7% of full vacuum furnace to achieve up to 99.7% density, according to Markforged. The build volume of the Metal X of full density” system is 250 x 220 x 200 mm (9.8 x 8.7 x 7.9 in) and the layers produced are 0.05 mm (0.002 in) in thickness. Example brake levers, made in expensive parts. Additionally, the must go through a thermal debinding 17-4 stainless steel, are shown in size and shape of the metal powder and sintering process. Some also Fig. 4. Both are sintered to 99.7% must be carefully controlled, making require infiltration by a secondary density. Build time was five hours them expensive. Therefore, the main metal, such as bronze. Systems from per lever, plus four hours of thermal drawback of direct metal AM is cost, ExOne are priced from $430,000 to processing and the material cost for with most systems priced in the $1.1 million. each lever is $34.

Fig. 4 Stainless steel brake levers manufactured using Markforged’s Metal X system

The ADAM process is capable Metal Injection Moulding, suggest It is too early to draw definitive of building fully enclosed lattice/ that whilst shrinkage is uniform, conclusions about the new Metal X mesh structures, resulting in parts designers may need to consider system. It shows promise and offers with high strength-to-weight ratios. changing wall thicknesses and other the possibility of fully enclosed lattice Powder bed systems have the draw- features that could cause distortion. and mesh structures. Shipment is back of trapping the unprocessed Thermal processing and cooling also expected in September 2017; until material in such enclosed structures, adds significant time to an already then, we will not know where the making it difficult or impossible to relatively slow build rate. In the machine offers a good fit. Even so, it remove. This sets the ADAM process brake lever example, about 44% of provides an alternative that will hope- apart from Powder Bed Fusion and the process time, excluding time for fully create additional competition. aerospace and other industries may finishing, is the thermal cycle. find this capability interesting and Mark and his team have developed useful. an interesting approach to help Authors The company is initially offering overcome dimensional inaccuracy 303 and 17-4 stainless steels and is as a result of thermal processing. Ian Campbell and Terry Wohlers testing other materials. These include A high-resolution laser scanner Wohlers Associates, Inc. Inconel 625 nickel-based superalloy, built into the print head scans the Fort Collins Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy, 6061 and thermally-processed part and makes Colorado 80525 7075 aluminium and A2 and D2 tool adjustments to the data. The machine USA steels. then prints a second part that is more www.wohlersassociates.com dimensionally accurate. Thermal processing Contact Conclusion A consideration when evaluating Kerry Murphy, Manager Corporate this system is that the thermal The Metal X system offers a more Communications post-processing and the associated reasonable cost basis for companies Markforged, Inc. removal of the polymer binder wanting to get started with metal AM. 10 Fawcett St. causes parts to shrink by 20%. Greg It may be suitable for applications Cambridge Mark, CEO of Markforged, states in final part production and could MA 02138 that parts shrink uniformly and this compete with CNC machining for USA shrinkage is taken into account quantities of tens or even hundreds, Tel: +1 617 666 1935 during the production process. if the parts are small. Other applica- Email: [email protected] Research and experience from other tions may include the production of www.markforged.com powder-based processes that require prototypes and possibly tooling such similar thermal processing, such as as plastic injection moulds.

Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition Center PM CHINA 2018 Organizing Committee Tel: +86-400 077 8909 | Fax: +86-21-23025505 Contact: Maggie Song | Email: [email protected]

w116wwMetal.c Additiven-pm Manufacturingexpo.c |o Summerm 2017 © 2017 Inovar Communications Ltd Vol. 3 No. 2 | contents page | news | events | advertisers’ index | contact | World PM2016 - NDE and powder characterisation China’s largest PM & MIM exhibition World PM2016: The non-destructive evaluation of internal defects and powder PM CHINA characterisation in AM SHANGHAI MARCH 25-27 2018 A collection of papers at the World PM2016 Congress, held in Hamburg, October 9-13, 2016, addressed the | Materials | Equipment | Products | Solutions | issues of non-destructive examination (NDE) of internal defects in additively manufactured parts and the control of AM processing through appropriate powder characterisation analysis. Dr David Whittaker presents Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine’s final report from the congress.

Non-destructive evaluation produced either with a solid form current inspection. Three external of internal defects in or with internal networks. Both of half-spheres were added on top of the additively manufactured these sample types contained the parts (relative to the build direction) pre-designed defects and were used for CT measurement calibration. aluminium parts to evaluate the ability to detect the In order to create the internally defects by CT, ultrasonic inspection latticed part, additional geometries A paper, from Lars Pejryd and Patrik and Eddy Current Testing (EC). were designed by performing two Karlsson (Örebro University, Sweden), After the sample build process, two subsequent boolean operations, Sebastian Hällgren (Saab Dynamics surfaces were machined to Ra 3.2 in using the software Magics. Lattice and Örebro University, Sweden) and order to improve ultrasonic and eddy pattern, G_structure10, with structure Magnus Kahlin (Saab Aeronautics and Linköping University, Sweden), addressed the issue of NDE of internal defects in additively manufactured aluminium alloy, AlSi10Mg. To enable the full industrial application of AM, robust methods for the detection of potential internal defects are required. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is potentially one of the few tools for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) of internal features and defects. The applicability of CT and other NDE methods is, however, not fully understood. In the reported work, aluminium alloy parts, with different sizes of controlled internal Shanghai Everbright Convention & Exhibition Center defects in the form of slots of varying width, 0.1–0.4 mm, were PM CHINA 2018 Organizing Committee manufactured by Selective Laser Fig. 1 The city of Hamburg hosted World PM2016, with an Official Reception Tel: +86-400 077 8909 | Fax: +86-21-23025505 Melting (SLM). The parts were taking place at the Handelskammer Contact: Maggie Song | Email: [email protected] www.cn-pmexpo.com Vol. 3 No. 2 © 2017 Inovar Communications Ltd Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2017 117 World PM2016 - NDE and powder characterisation | contents page | news | events | advertisers’ index | contact |

110 A A- -A

55 2 6 3.2

A 2 3.2 100 6 10.5 as printed

10.5 as machined 5

B B 0.3 0.32 0.15 0.34 10 as machined 0.16 B- -B 0.36 2:1 0.17 0.38 0.18 0.4 0.19

0.14 0.28 R3 0.26 0.13 R4 ~ 5 R2 0.12 0.24 0.11 0.22 0.1 0.2 Material - AlSi10Mg

~0.7781mm dx,dy,dz: ~(0.0000 0.0000 0.7781) mm

Fig. 2 Design of the test object, in AlSi10Mg, without internal lattice network (top) and cut view of the internally latticed part (bottom left) and close-up of the lattice with a slot cutting through it (bottom right). The network strut’s square cross section dimension was measured to be nominally 0.78 mm [1]

dimensions x,y,z = 3.0 mm being filtering was applied to the X-rays. tion). A filtered back-projection chosen (Fig. 2). Both sample types The scanning parameters used in algorithm was used to reconstruct were designed to contain the same the work resulted in a voxel size the investigated 3D volume based on type of pre-designed defects. (i.e. the dimension of the volumetric the X-ray projections obtained. For Computed tomography was pixel unit) of about 80 μm for scans separation of the aluminium material performed using an industrial of the complete sample and 27 μm and air to determine the interfaces, CT system with a 225 kV X-ray for scans of only selected portions thresholding of the reconstructed micro-focus source. No physical of the sample (at higher magnifica- volume was carried out using

a) b)

Fig. 3 Magnification of regions of interest in a sample without internal network (a) The end of the sample with large width (as designed 0.40–0.30 mm). (b) The end of the sample with small width of the slots (as designed 0.13–0.10 mm). The green lines indicate the expected dimensions from the CAD source file [1]

Fig. 4 Ultrasonic inspection of the machined surfaces (a,b) and rough surfaces (c,d) of the test pieces where (a,c), (b) and (d) are the side, bottom and top surfaces respectively. The upper test pieces shown in the images (a-d) were heat treated prior to the ultrasonic inspection [1]

commercial software with adaptive be included in the sample (Fig. 3). The analysis mode “actual/ surface determination methods. The The slots were shown to contain nominal”, where the reconstructed data were then used to determine unmelted powder and porosity CT volume is compared to the the geometry and dimensions of between powder particles. For the as-designed CAD file, is not designed the defects produced. Two types of wider slots, this is clearly shown as to analyse internal defects. This was approaches, defect determination regions of lower density than the confirmed by attempts to use this and actual/nominal comparison, surrounding solid material. From mode on the sample without internal were used for the evaluation of the Fig. 3, it is clear that, for wide slots, networks, but with manufactured presence and size of non-melted powder is accumulated in the lower internal slots. In this case, no clear areas in the form of slots. part of the slot and two different measurement values of the internal Ultrasonic inspection was areas with different densities can defects/slots were obtained. performed using immersion testing be detected. All of the designed Manual measurement of the with both the transducer and the test defects were easily detected by visual widths of the slots resulted in sample placed in a water tank. During inspection of the reconstructed CT deviations from the CAD values, ultrasonic inspection, an ultrasound data. ranging from +110% for the small pulse is sent through the sample The external half-spheres were width features to +10% for the larger and the received echo is analysed. used as reference objects and the features. The uncertainties of the A 20 MHz probe and a focal depth of distances between the manufactured measurements are similar for all 31.75 mm between the transducer slots and the volume of the slots slot widths measured. This gives and the part were used. were measured. Defect determina- an indication of the geometrical Electromagnetic inductive tion using the mode “Void” and the accuracy limits of small size features inspection was performed through algorithm VGDefx in the software in SLM processing of aluminium. eddy current testing. During eddy identified the complete volumes of The ultrasonic inspection of the current inspection, an alternating unmelted powder. This includes both samples, without internal network current is applied to a coil resulting the volumes of higher and lesser structures, resulted in defects in a magnetic field, which induces a density of the larger slot, as can be that were detected by applying current and magnetic field in the test seen in Fig. 3a (as the green line) for the probe on both the machined artefact. A defect in the test artefact the larger slots. Using the enhanced surfaces, Fig. 4(a,b), and the will change the induced current and mode and basing the analysis on as-printed surfaces, Fig. 4(c,d). this will then will be registered. A surface determination, the volume However, ultrasonic inspection of Phasec 3D flaw detector and frequen- identified varies and is not consistent the top surface of the sample, with cies between 700 Hz and 3 kHz were along the sample. For the larger an as-printed surface roughness, used, giving a penetration depth of slots, the defect is identified as the resulted in poor resolution due to a 2-4 mm in aluminium materials. volume with the lowest density (the low signal-to-noise ratio, Fig. 4(d). In For solid samples with slots, CT white lines in Fig. 3) and, therefore, comparison to defect detection using evaluation could detect all of the only parts of the low density CT, ultrasonic inspection showed defects/slots that were designed to volumes/slots are considered. lower resolution.

Fig. 5 Magnification of regions of interest in a sample with internal network. a) The end of the sample with large width (as designed 0.40–0.36 mm), b) The middle part of the sample, c) The end of the sample with small width of the slots (as designed 0.12–0.10 mm) [1]

Fig. 6 Regions of interest in a sample with internal network, using the analysis mode actual/nominal comparison in the CT analysis software [1]

For samples with internal network struts. For the semi-closed sizes were between 27 and 80 μm, networks, CT evaluation, Fig. 5, was areas, no internal defects could the detection limits for defects were not as straightforward as for solid be detected using this mode. Thus larger. Intentional defects down to samples. Visual evaluation of the defects between unmelted powder 100 μm could, however, be detected. CT data showed clear slots for the particles were below the detection Additionally, the dimensional wider slots. Since the sample was limit of the set up. With the use of accuracy of CT measurements is not designed as an “open structure”, the the “Actual/nominal” comparison, yet fully understood. unmelted powder was easily removed Fig. 6, comparing the CAD file of the Overall, the authors concluded after the build process. Therefore, designed object to the CT data, some that, for components with internal slots, which are wide enough to allow help in identifying defects could networks, more work is needed powder to run freely and which are be obtained. However, no usable to develop CT inspection methods connected to the open parts of the numbers for comparison could be to enable automation or to assist network structure, will not contain obtained. a trained operator. At present, CT powder after the build process. This Resolution and detectability is does, however, seem to be the most results in a larger contrast between an important question in quality promising method for inspecting the solid parts of the sample and assurance and detection of defects components with internal networks. the intended defects, as compared using CT is highly dependent on the The ultrasonic inspection of to the solid sample case, where the CT system, the material studied samples with internal network unmelted powder remains in the and the magnification that can be structures indicated substantial slots. However, it was much more used (and, therefore, the voxel size difficulties in detecting the difficult to detect narrower slots in that can be obtained). In previously constructed defects. The inner this sample. Below 0.28 mm, the reported work in the literature, for structures were barely visible in the slots begin to be semi-closed due Ti6Al4V samples built using electron results from ultrasonic inspection. to partial melting of the intended beam melting (EBM), CT scans with Hence, in comparison to ultrasonic openings. a voxel size of 10 μm showed that, inspection, CT is superior in the Analysis methods in the CT with such a magnification, it was not detection of complex inner struc- software, such as defect determina- possible to detect pores smaller than tures and defects. Ultrasonic and tion, are not directly applicable for 25 μm and it was concluded that this eddy current methods have been these types of structures. In this could probably be considered as the shown to be not applicable for these mode, the analysis tool is searching low end of the detectability range types of designs, as current methods for defects inside solid volumes, for current industrial CT systems. In cannot handle the analysis of signal thus, in this case, inside the the current analysis, where the voxel paths in network structures.

Evaluating flowability of Powder CBD, g/ml BDtap50, g/ml Additive Manufacturing New 4.52 5.03 powders using the HX Gustavsson Flow Meter Used 4.67 5.13 New 4.45 4.81 Control of a number of the character- IN939 Used 4.56 4.92 istics of the ‘raw material’ powders is of prime importance in ensuring an Table 1 The powders used in the reported study. CBD is the conditioned bulk adequate control of the subsequent density; BDtap50 is the bulk density after 50 taps [2] AM processing and two papers at the congress addressed this issue. The first of these papers specifically focused on characterisation of powder flowability and was provided by a Swedish consortium, Pelle Melin, Hall ustavsson Ola Lyckfeldt and Annika Strondl (Swerea), Peter Harlin (Sandvik Materials Technology), Håkan Brodin (Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery) and Henrik Blom (Carpenter Powder Products). Control over powder flowability is important in ensuring consistency in the re-coating process 30 .7 mm 15 after each layer build in powder bed AM technologies. 5.7 mm In the reported work, the nickel- based alloys, Hastelloy X (HX) and Inconel 939 (IN939), were assessed in both the ‘virgin’ and ‘used’ conditions. When a component is built in 2.1 mm an SLM machine, the fused powder 2.6 mm is replaced with virgin powder and the remaining powder is typically Fig. 7 The cross section of (left) the Hall flow mater and (right) the Gustavsson mixed with the virgin powder for flow meter [2] the next run. The used powder degrades somewhat and the resulting mixture is therefore slightly different compared to the virgin powder. The with continual usage. Bulk density The Gustavsson flow meter is a flowability often changes, reflecting comparisons for the analysed better method for fine metal powders, altered surface characteristics powders are listed in Table 1. The which are not free-flowing. As can be and the formation/scattering of increased density levels of the used seen in Fig. 7, the angle is steeper in agglomerates, but, most importantly, powders should be noted. the Gustavsson flow meter, compared the Particle Size Distribution (PSD) The flow characteristics of these to the Hall funnel. The hole at the also changes. The way in which powder batches were assessed using bottom is also smaller, in order to the PSD changes is dependent on two funnel-based flow meters (the obtain the same flow time as the Hall the technology. A spreading type of Gustavsson and Hall flow meters) and flow meter, for the reference powder powder dispensing favours small the Freeman FT4 powder rheometer. Chinese emery. particles in the build chamber, as the For AM, powders with a fine sieving In the Freeman FT4 powder large particles are pushed on top. fraction are beneficial because these rheometer, flow energy is measured Hence, larger particles are enriched enable better dimensional accuracy on a defined volume (25 ml) of powder in the used powder. A pouring type and finer surfaces. However, it is by recording the resistance to a of powder dispensing could favour well known that flowability is poor for rotating blade moving downwards some particle range depending on finer powders and they are typically and upwards within the powder bed flow inside the pouring device. At the more difficult to dispense. The most using a certain helix motion pattern. same time, the chemical properties widely used flow assessment method, Eight repeated measures, with a are degraded, mainly in terms of the Hall flow meter, is lacking in conditioning cycle in between each oxygen content, which increases applicability for such fine powders. measurement, were conducted and

the 7th value was used in the reported results. With the Freeman method of measuring flow, the pushing and shearing behaviour of the powders are determined. In contrast, with the Hall and Gustavsson methods of measuring flow, the free-flowing aspects of the powders were measured. See Fig. 8 for an illustration of the rheometer. Torque All of the studied methods of characterising the flowability were Force able to distinguish between used and Height virgin and dried and non-dried HX and IN939. However, for the Hall flow meter, the differences were small, close to the magnitude of variability Scale between separate runs. Used powder (Fig. 9) and dried powder (Fig. 10) flowed more rapidly. Furthermore, Fig. 8 Freeman rheometer FT4. Resistance to flow is measured as the powder the Hall flow meter is only designed is in motion [2] for free-flowing powders and flow could sometimes not be started with a single tap and some powder remained 27 in the funnel after the flow stopped. As such, the measurement standard (ISO 4490 or ASTM B213-11) could not 18 be correctly applied. The Gustavsson flow meter was more successful and robust. Some of the measurements 9 New for the Hall flow time in Fig. 9 were in

Flow time, s Flow fact from only two runs and, therefore, Used not according to the standard. 0 The comparison of the results from HX In939 HX In939 the funnel methods and the Freeman method displayed something of a Hall Gustavsson paradox. In the Freeman rheometer, the used powders appeared to have Fig. 9 Results for Hall and Gustavsson flow times. Non-dried powders were worse flow characteristics, while, analysed [2] in the Hall and Gustavsson flow meters, the used powders appeared to have better flow characteristics. This difference may be partly related 25 to the fact that the funnel methods are constant mass methods, while 20 the Freeman rheometer is a constant volume method. The used powders 15 showed higher bulk densities (Table 10 1) owing to having more fines and HX New wider particle size distributions. 5 A higher density means there is a Flow time, s Flow smaller volume to pass through the 0 non dry dry funnel and hence a faster time is recorded. In the Freeman rheometer, a higher density powder means there Gustavsson #1 is a higher mass and therefore more particles should be sheared. However, Fig. 10 Results of Gustavsson flow time for non-dried and dried HX powder. this is not the complete explanation Drying was done by maintaining 70°C overnight, in normal atmosphere [2] as, if the conditioned bulk density

from Table 1 is used, the Hall and Concept SLM Powder EOS Arcam Gustavsson mass flow rates can be Laser Solutions recalculated to volume flow rates and, D μm 21.9 20.2 28.2 51.4 on comparing these volume flow rates 10

from the Hall and Gustavsson flow D50 μm 31.9 29.8 36.6 73.2 meters, the used powders still exhibit D μm 46.3 43.7 49.2 107.8 a better flowability. As such, what is 90 really a better flowability is a matter Flowability s 39.3 53.2 31.7 21.8 of definition and the different methods Apparent density g/cm³ 2.46 2.54 2.45 2.59 do not actually measure the same aspects. It can be postulated that Tap density g/cm³ 2.83 2.83 2.73 2.81 shear cell testing could be a better Al-content % 6.49 6.38 6.37 5.75 representation for the spreading type V-content % 4.09 3.91 3.90 3.97 of dispensing in AM; while the funnel methods could represent flowability in Fe-content % 0.24 0.22 0.22 0.21 a better manner in the pouring type of O-content % 0.188 0.147 0.143 0.116 dispensing. It may be concluded that, for N-content % 0.010 0.009 0.016 0.017 pouring type dispensing, the Table 2 Determined properties of Ti-6Al-4V powders provided by equipment Gustavsson funnel may be the manufacturers EOS, Concept Laser, SLM Solutions and Arcam [3] preferred flowability assessment method, as the Freeman FT4 is an advanced instrument, which requires knowledge and correct handling, 100 whereas Gustavsson flow time can, on the other hand, be applied in a fast production setting and 80 can be used by most staff without much training. Use of the Freeman rheometer may, however, be justified 60 when characterising flow in an AM system that uses a spreading type of 40 dispenser. EOS Concept Laser Cumulative Volume [%] Cumulative 20 SLM Solutions Powders for Additive Arcam Manufacturing 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 A further paper, from Alexander Kirchner, Burghardt Klöden, Thomas Equiv. Particle Diameter [μm] Weißgärber and Bernd Kieback (Fraunhofer IFAM, Dresden, Germany), Fig. 11 Particle size distributions of Ti-6Al-4V powders [3] presented a comprehensive set of characterisation analyses for powders used in Selective Laser Melting (SLM) Therefore, four powders provided characterised for 50 g of powder by and Electron Beam Melting (EBM) by manufacturers of SLM and EBM means of a Hall flowmeter. Apparent processing. machines were analysed in the density was determined by the Metal powders have crucial reported study. EOS Titanium Ti64 had funnel method and tap density was significance as the feedstock for both a nominal particle size of 20-45 μm, measured using a Scott volumeter SLM and EBM. To ensure problem- Concept Laser CLM (15-45 μm), SLM Elemental composition was analysed free processing, a number of proper- Solutions Ti-6Al-4V (20-63 μm) and using an inductively coupled plasma ties such as flowability, particle size Arcam Ti-6Al-4V (45-105 μm). optical emission spectrometer (ICP- and shape, apparent density and level To characterise the particle size OES) and interstitial impurities were of impurities have to be within certain distributions of these powders, determined using a LECO analyser. ranges. Since, to date, powders a laser scattering analyser was Density was measured using a gas have been largely supplied by the used. For these measurements, the pycnometer with helium. Imaging equipment manufacturer, systematic powders were dispersed in water of powder particles was carried out examinations are not available. using ultrasound. Flowability was using a scanning electron microscope.

Fig. 12 Scanning electron micrographs of custom-specified Ti-6Al-4V powders for SLM (left) and EBM (right)

The SLM machines used in the 1.25, pointing to sufficient flowability. were specified. The finer fraction study were an EOS Eosint M270, a The pycnometric density of all SLM with a nominal size between 20 Concept Laser M2 cusing and an powders was measured to be and 63 μm was to run on all SLM SLM Solutions 250HL. EBM studies 4.40 g/cm³, indicating negligible machines, while the coarser were carried out using an Arcam A2X internal porosity. fraction between 40 and 120 μm machine. In comparison the EBM powder was destined for the EBM process. The characterisation results for was characterised by a larger particle The specified flowability of the SLM the Ti-6Al-4V powders provided by the size. Consequently, flowability, powders had to be aligned with equipment manufacturers are given apparent density and tap density the highest flowability measured in Table 2. The measured particle size were all higher than those of the SLM for the powders supplied by the distributions are shown in Fig. 11. powders. The chemical compositions equipment manufacturers. Also, the Using electron microscopy imaging, of all the powders tested fell within elemental composition was specified all powders were found to be highly the ASTM B265 specification of to be tighter than ASTM B265 spherical with very few satellites. Titanium Grade 5. to take into account two effects. Despite this very beneficial particle On the basis of these Firstly, the selective evaporation of shape, all SLM powders require characterisation results, a custom aluminium from the alloy melt leads tapping to achieve a continuous powder specification was generated to a depletion in the manufactured Ti-6Al-4V part, and, secondly, there is oxygen uptake during the build process. Repeated heating leads to “The powder chemical composition oxygen accumulation in the powder, leaves enough latitude to account for potentially limiting the commercially important number of re-use cycles. preferential aluminium evaporation and In addition, the allowable internal oxygen accumulation, as a consequence porosity was tightly limited, since some of the gas-filled porosity of recycling, to be within the ASTM B265 translates into the final material. The results of the characterisation specification” analyses of the two fractions, manufactured according to the custom specification by TLS, are flow in the Hall test. The apparent and custom specified Ti-6Al-4V presented in Table 3.

densities of the SLM powders were powders were produced by electrode With a median D50 of 44.1 μm, in the range 2.45 to 2.54 g/cm³ and induction-melting gas atomisation the custom SLM powder is coarser the tap densities in the range 2.73 (EIGA) using argon by TLS Technik, than any of the previously analysed to 2.83 g/cm³. From these numbers, Germany. SLM powders and its flowability is, at the Hausner ratios can be calculated In view of the distinct particle 31.4 s, at the high end of the previ- to be in the range 1.15 to 1.11. All of size differences between SLM and ously analysed range. The particle these values are significantly below EBM powders, two powder fractions size distribution of the custom EBM

powder is practically identical to the Powder SLM EBM Arcam powder, but its flowability is inferior. The likely reason for this can D10 μm 32.8 52.9 be seen in Fig. 11. Both the custom D50 μm 44.1 73.7 SLM and EBM powders are less spherical than the previously char- D90 μm 62.5 104.6 acterised powders. This also affects Flowability s 31.4 28.3 both apparent and tap density, which Apparent density g/cm³ 2.32 2.37 are slightly reduced. The powder chemical composition leaves enough Tap density g/cm³ 2.64 2.70 latitude to account for preferential Al-content % 6.42 aluminium evaporation and oxygen accumulation, as a consequence of V-content % 4.20 recycling, to be within the ASTM B265 Fe-content % 0.22 specification. O-content % 0.119 0.118 The custom SLM powder, after adjustments to the scan parameters, N-content % 0.005 0.005 ran without issues on the three Table 3 Determined properties of custom specified Ti-6Al-4V powders [3] different SLM machines. The custom EBM powder was processed using Arcam standard parameters. No problems regarding powder feeding The authors’ overall conclusion Gustavsson Flow Meter, P Mellin and raking were encountered. The was that their defined approach to et al, as presented at the World built Ti-6Al-4V materials exhibited custom powder specification was PM2016 Congress, Hamburg, October good mechanical properties. found to be suitable, on the basis 11-14 2016, and published in the Powder ‘ageing’ through repeated that the powders’ performance in Proceedings by EPMA, UK. uses was monitored over a number both SLM and EBM machines was as of build series on different machines. requested. Mainly subtle changes in [3] Powders for Additive Manufac- After processing virgin SLM powder the powder properties after multiple turing, A Kirchner et al, as presented on an SLM Solutions machine, a reuse cycles were detected. Because at the World PM2016 Congress, number of subtle changes in powder these ‘ageing’ effects depend on Hamburg, October 11-14 2016, and properties were detected. While many factors, such as machine published in the Proceedings by the median particle size stayed type, build geometry and processing EPMA, UK. practically constant, the number of parameters, they may not be readily particles smaller than 30 μm was applicable to every powder-bed-based reduced over the first three cycles. additive manufacturing process and Author Flowability was increased continu- need to be checked individually. ously such that, after six cycles, flow In common with the previous Dr David Whittaker is a consultant to time was reduced to 28.6 s. While reviewed paper, it was also the Powder Metallurgy industry. the effect on apparent density was concluded that, particularly for Tel: +44 (0)1902 338498 negligible, tap density increased to the finer SLM powders, the Hall Email: [email protected] a level of 2.73 g/cm³. A moderate flowmeter might not be the most increase in impurities was detected. suitable characterisation method for Proceedings The oxygen content rose to 0.138 % flowability within six cycles or an average increase of 0.003%/cycle. The proceedings of the World PM2016 In the case of EBM, a small References technical sessions and poster shift in particle size distribution program are published in digital of approximately 2 μm towards [1] Non-Destructive Evaluation format by the European Powder larger particles was measured of Internal Defects in Additive Metallurgy Association. For more after processing the powder for 13 Manufactured Aluminium, L Pejryd et information visit www.epma.com cycles. No reduction in flowability al, as presented at the World PM2016 was detected. As before, no change Congress, Hamburg, October 11-14 in apparent density was detected, 2016, and published in the Proceed- but there was a small increase in ings by EPMA, UK. tap density. The increase in oxygen content after 13 cycles was 0.027%, [2] Evaluating Flowability of Additive corresponding to 0.002%/cycle. Manufacturing Powders, Using the

PMTi 2017 8PMTi-10 2017September 8-10 2017 September ·Xi’an 2017, P.R.·Xi’an ,China P.R. China 4th International Conference on Titanium Powder Metallurgy & Additive Manufacturing

4th International Conference on Titanium Powder Metallurgy & Additive Manufacturing

Organisers International Advisory Board

Leandro Bolzoni The University of Waikato, New Zealand

Organisers InternationalHilda Chikwanda Advisory Council Boardfor Scientific and Industrial Research, South Africa State Key Laboratory of Porous Metal Materials Leandro BolzoniThomas Ebel The UniversityHelmholtz-Zentrum of Waikato, Geesthacht, GermanyNew Zealand Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous Metal Research, P.R. China Zak Z. Fang University of Utah, USA Hilda ChikwandaStefan Gulizia CouncilCSIRO Manufacturingfor Scientific Flagship, Australiaand Industrial

M. Ashraf Imam Research,George WashingtonSouth Africa University, USA Katsuyoshi Kondoh Osaka University, Japan State Key Laboratory of Porous Metal Materials Thomas Ebel Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany State Key Laboratory for Powder Metallurgy Louis-Philippe Lefebvre National Research Council Canada, Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous CentralMetal South Research University,, P.R. P.R. China China Zak Z. Fang UniversityCanada of Utah, USA Ian Mellor Metalysis, UK Honorary Organisers Stefan Gulizia CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Australia Aamir Mukhtar TiDA Limited, Tauranga, New Zealand

 Chinese Materials Research Society M. Ashraf ImamElena Gordo Odériz GeorgeUniversity Washington Carlos III of Madrid University,, Spain USA Ma Qian RMIT University, Australia  The Non-ferrous Metal Society of China Katsuyoshi Kondoh Osaka University, Japan Xuanhui Qu University of Science and Technology State Key Laboratory for Powder Metallurgy National Natural Science Foundation of China Louis-Philippe Lefebvre NationalBeijing, P.R.Research China Council Canada, Central South University, P.R. China  Materials Australia Iain Todd CanadaUniversity of Sheffield, UK David van Vuuren Council for Scientific and Industrial  Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy Ian Mellor Metalysis,Research, UK South Africa Honorary Organisers  Society of Materials New Zealand Incorporated Aamir MukhtarDeliang Zhang TiDANortheast Limited,ern Tauranga,University, P.R. NewChina Zealand  Powder Metallurgy Association of South Africa  Chinese Materials Research Society Elena Gordo ConOdériztact DetailsUniversity Carlos III of Madrid, Spain  Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany Ma Qian E-mail: [email protected] University, Australia  The Non-ferrous Metal Society of China Call for Abstracts Website: www.tipmam2017.org Xuanhui Qu University of Science and Technology  National Natural Science Foundation of China Conference Venue The content has to be related to powder metallurgy of Beijing, P.R. China titanium but not limited to:  Materials Australia Iain Todd University of Sheffield, UK → Titanium powder production and characterisation David van Vuuren Council for Scientific and Industrial  Japan Society of Powder and Powder→ Titanium Metallurgy powder metallurgy processes

Research, South Africa  Society of Materials New Zealand→ Titanium Incorporated additive manufacturing processes Deliang Zhang Northeast ern University, P.R. China → Ti-based materials and applications  Powder Metallurgy Association of South Africa Conference Chairs Contact Details  Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany

Chair Huiping Tang Northwest Institute for Non-ferrousE-mail: Metal [email protected] Research, P.R. China Call for Abstracts Co-chair Yong Liu Central South University, P.R.Website: China www.tipmam2017.org Co-chair Peng Cao The University of Auckland, New Zealand Conference Venue The content has to be related to powder metallurgy of titanium but not limited to:

→ Titanium powder production and characterisation

→ Titanium powder metallurgy processes → Titanium additive manufacturing processes

→ Ti-based materials and applications

Conference Chairs

Chair Huiping Tang Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous Metal Research, P.R. China Co-chair Yong Liu Central South University, P.R. China Co-chair Peng Cao The University of Auckland, New Zealand

PMTi 2017 8PMTi-10 2017September 8-10 2017 September ·Xi’an 2017, P.R.·Xi’an ,China P.R. China 4th International Conference on Titanium Powder Metallurgy & Additive Manufacturing

4th International Conference on Titanium Powder Metallurgy & Additive Manufacturing industry events

Organisers International Advisory Board 2017

Leandro Bolzoni The University of Waikato, New Zealand 7th International Conference on Additive formnext powered by TCT

Organisers Hilda Chikwanda Council for Scientific and Industrial Manufacturing Technologies November 14-17, Frankfurt, Germany International Advisory Board September 7-8, Bangalore, India www.formnext.com Research, South Africa www.amsi.org.in/ State Key Laboratory of Porous Metal Materials Leandro BolzoniThomas Ebel The UniversityHelmholtz-Zentrum of Waikato, Geesthacht, GermanyNew Zealand Additive Manufacturing Americas 2017 Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous Metal Research, P.R. China Zak Z. Fang University of Utah, USA PM Titanium 2017 December 6-8, Pasadena, United States Hilda ChikwandaStefan Gulizia CouncilCSIRO Manufacturingfor Scientific Flagship, Australiaand Industrial September 8-10, Xian Shi, China www.amshow-americas.com www.tipmam2017.org M. Ashraf Imam Research,George WashingtonSouth Africa University, USA Katsuyoshi Kondoh Osaka University, Japan State Key Laboratory of Porous Metal Materials Thomas Ebel Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany AM Ceramics State Key Laboratory for Powder Metallurgy Louis-Philippe Lefebvre National Research Council Canada, September 11-12, Vienna, Austria Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous CentralMetal South Research University,, P.R. P.R. China China www.am-ceramics.dkg.de Zak Z. Fang UniversityCanada of Utah, USA 2018 Ian Mellor Metalysis, UK Honorary Organisers Stefan Gulizia CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Australia EMO Hannover 2017 PM China 2018 Aamir Mukhtar TiDA Limited, Tauranga, New Zealand September 18-23, Hannover, Germany March 25-27, Shanghai, China

 Chinese Materials Research Society M. Ashraf ImamElena Gordo Odériz GeorgeUniversity Washington Carlos III of Madrid University,, Spain USA www.emo-hannover.de www.cn-pmexpo.com/en/ Ma Qian RMIT University, Australia  The Non-ferrous Metal Society of China Katsuyoshi Kondoh Osaka University, Japan TCT Show - Birmingham AMUG Xuanhui Qu University of Science and Technology September 26-28, Birmingham, UK April 8-12, St. Louis, United States State Key Laboratory for Powder Metallurgy National Natural Science Foundation of China Louis-Philippe Lefebvre NationalBeijing, P.R.Research China Council Canada, www.tctshow.com www.additivemanufacturingusersgroup.com Central South University, P.R. China  Materials Australia Iain Todd University of Sheffield, UK Canada EURO PM2017 - Congress & Exhibition Rapid + TCT David van Vuuren Council for Scientific and Industrial  Japan Society of Powder and Powder Metallurgy October 1-4, Milan, Italy April 23-26, Fort Worth, United States Ian Mellor Metalysis,Research, UK South Africa www.europm2017.com www.rapid3devent.com Honorary Organisers  Society of Materials New Zealand Incorporated Aamir MukhtarDeliang Zhang TiDANortheast Limited,ern Tauranga,University, P.R. NewChina Zealand  Powder Metallurgy Association of South Africa IN(3D)USTRY - From needs to solutions AMPM2018  Chinese Materials Research Society Elena Gordo ConOdériztact DetailsUniversity Carlos III of Madrid, Spain October 1-6, Barcelona, Spain June 17-19, San Antonio, United States  Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany www.in3dustry.com www.ampm2018.org Ma Qian E-mail: [email protected] University, Australia  The Non-ferrous Metal Society of China Call for Abstracts Website: www.tipmam2017.org Additive Aerospace Summit Additive Manufacturing Europe 2018 Xuanhui Qu University of Science and Technology October 18-20, Los Angels, United States June 26-28, Amsterdam, Netherlands www.infocastinc.com/event/additive- www.amshow-europe.com/welcome-additive-  National Natural Science FoundationThe content of China has to be related to powder metallurgy of Conference Venue Beijing, P.R. China aerospace/ manufacturing-europe titanium but not limited to:  Materials Australia Iain Todd University of Sheffield, UK → Titanium powder production and characterisation International Conference on Sintering 2017 World PM2018 November 12-16, San Diego, United States September 16-20, Beiijing, China David van Vuuren Council for Scientific and Industrial  www.ceramics.org/international-conference- www.worldpm2018.com Japan Society of Powder and Powder→ Titanium Metallurgy powder metallurgy processes on-sintering-2017 Research, South Africa  Society of Materials New Zealand→ Titanium Incorporated additive manufacturing processes Deliang Zhang Northeast ern University, P.R. China

→ Ti-based materials and applications Pick up your free copy!  Powder Metallurgy Association of South Africa Event listings and Media Partners Metal AM magazine is exhibiting Conference Chairs Contact Details If you would like to see your metal Additive Manufacturing related event listed at and/or being  Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Germany in this magazine and on our websites, please contact Paul Whittaker: Chair Huiping Tang Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous Metal distributed at events E-mail: [email protected] email: [email protected] highlighted with Research, P.R. China We welcome enquiries regarding media partnerships and are always the Metal AM cover Website: www.tipmam2017.org Call for Abstracts Co-chair Yong Liu Central South University, P.R. China interested to discuss opportunities to cooperate with event organisers and image Co-chair Peng Cao The University of Auckland, New Zealand associations worldwide. Conference Venue The content has to be related to powder metallurgy of Vol. 3 No. 2 © 2017 Inovar Communications Ltd Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2017 127 titanium but not limited to:

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