The New Paradigm for the Jewellery Manufacturer
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1595/205651315X688523 Johnson Matthey Technol. Rev., 2015, 59, (3), 233–242 JOHNSON MATTHEY TECHNOLOGY REVIEW www.technology.matthey.com Sintering and Additive Manufacturing: The New Paradigm for the Jewellery Manufacturer European jewellery industry poised to develop potential of direct metal laser melting in precious metals By Frank Cooper Rationale Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre, School of Jewellery, Birmingham City University, This paper intends to explore and open up for debate by Birmingham, UK the jewellery industry what actions and understanding might be required in order to facilitate the transfer Email: [email protected] and acceptance of precious metal direct metal laser melting (DMLM) technologies and processes into a manufacturing process specifi cally tailored for the The use of various sintering technologies, allied to jewellery manufacturing industries and their related suitable powder metallurgy, has long been the subject value and supply chains. The goal of the Jewellery of discussion within the global jewellery manufacturing Industry Innovation Centre (JIIC) and its parent community. This exciting, once theoretical and institution, the Birmingham School of Jewellery, UK, is to experimental technology is now undoubtedly a practical encourage its students to develop, design and produce application suitable for the jewellery industry. All parts computer aided design (CAD) examples of jewellery of the jewellery industry supply and value chains, and products to challenge, prove, and democratise the especially design and manufacturing, now need to processes and materials required for the application of become aware very quickly of just how unsettling and precious metal DMLM technology into the production disruptive this technology introduction has the potential facilities of small and medium-sized enterprises to become. This paper will offer various viewpoints that (SMEs) within the jewellery manufacturing sector. consider not only the technology and its application to The paper also assesses and attempts to quantify the jewellery manufacture but will also consider the new current perceived industry needs for an adaptable, design potentials of the technology to the jewellery low-volume and innovative new technology that will industry. It will also briefl y consider how that design facilitate rapid responses by SMEs to the consumer’s potential is being taught to future generations of demands for more custom-made, individually designed jewellery designers at the Birmingham School of and personalised jewellery products. Typical jewellery Jewellery. We shall also discuss in some detail the manufacturing processes like lost-wax investment economics of and potential for new and different casting or stamping do not have either the necessary business models that this technological paradigm quick response times or, more importantly, the design might offer the jewellery industry. and production fl exibility required to address these 233 © 2015 Johnson Matthey http://dx.doi.org/10.1595/205651315X688523 Johnson Matthey Technol. Rev., 2015, 59, (3) issues. This paper is intended to help increase industry could well be increasingly driven by a growing demand awareness, knowledge, and especially it is hoped to for custom-made, personalised, individually designed speed up jewellery industry uptake of the new design and innovative designs of high-quality and high-value and production capabilities offered by the DMLM jewellery as high precious metal prices have resulted processes for working with precious metals. in many consumers now considering the design and innovation within a jewellery item as equal to if not The Economic Argument more important than its base intrinsic value (4). Increased affl uence in the newly emerging economies, This section will focus primarily on the European coupled with a rising number of marriages, working jewellery market sector and its fi nancial models. women, increased shopping opportunities and an The European Union (EU) has traditionally been an online interest in fashion, are thought to be the main important supplier of high-quality jewellery to the world’s driving forces behind the latest growth in precious metal markets, and is also considered to be the second or jewellery sales in these areas. However, consumers third largest market for jewellery consumption, after are also more careful with their spending. There is a the USA (China and India vie for the other places growing fatigue towards ‘fast turnover fashions’ and depending on the statistical analysis method used). many consumers now have increasing opportunity Sales of jewellery in most EU countries are thought to favour good and uniquely personalised ‘statement’ to have risen steadily in the decade from 2005 to the designs and regard these as more important than the present; however, this volume market is predominantly intrinsic value of a jewellery piece. supplied with jewellery items manufactured outside the Global economic uncertainty makes it diffi cult to EU. Socio-economic factors mean that it is very diffi cult predict future jewellery industry trends, but the market for the European jewellery manufacturing industry is predicted in some quarters to begin to expand. In to be competitive on price alone. Recent global, and the near future the EU jewellery market is expected particularly EU, economic and fi nancial crises have to grow, especially in the Eastern EU and accession further impacted the EU jewellery manufacturing countries due in part to their newly emerging middle industry and recent massive price rises in all precious classes. It is the contention of the present article that metals have somewhat weakened jewellery sales. the EU market in particular will increasingly demand Consumers seem to have reduced their expenditure on higher quality products, coupled with original designs jewellery and sought personalised pieces with greater and statement jewellery with added perceived value, associated personal value (1). personalisation, or new production technologies (5–8). High-quality jewellery manufacturing has long A key question is therefore: “Is there a viable been an important sector within the EU economy. economic argument for considering adoption of Detailed information on employment statistics for the DMLM technology?”. The present author believes EU jewellery industry is diffi cult to source and defi ne that the jewellery manufacturing sector in the EU accurately but there are thought to be some 30,000 has the potential to grow signifi cantly further if new smaller companies, with less than 250 employees each, high-technology approaches such as DMLM are and around 200 larger companies with an estimated adopted and exploited effectively. While all materials total of 180,000 employees. These are companies used in the production of precious metal jewellery are that specialise either in a style of jewellery design or intrinsically expensive, DMLM offers a technology shift in a stage of production (2). The World Gold Council that is able to potentially reduce material usage while has estimated that in 2014 the global demand for gold offering new market opportunities. jewellery was US $100 billion (3). Within the EU and other developed economies, Technology and Design consumers have been educated by the fast-moving, digital, online revolution to expect a continuous and DMLM was developed during the 1990s in Germany regularly updated choice of new and innovative (9). Beginning with CAD data, several layers of metallic products. This has impacted consumer buying patterns, powder are successively deposited one on top of the resulting in a surfeit of choice and an ever increasing other. Each layer of powder is heated using a focused competition for their disposable incomes. It could safely laser beam corresponding to a selected cross-section of be predicted that the future high-value jewellery market the part to be produced. The powder bed is then dropped 234 © 2015 Johnson Matthey http://dx.doi.org/10.1595/205651315X688523 Johnson Matthey Technol. Rev., 2015, 59, (3) incrementally and another layer of powder is applied concepts and ideas into jewellery products is achieved and smoothed by a blade prior to application of the next through a variety of technical processes including pass of the laser beam, simultaneously fusing each new CAD (12), prototyping and light engineering based layer of powder to the layer below it. The method differs processes and technical feasibility is traditionally a from the related technique of direct metal laser sintering vital consideration at each stage of the design process. (DMLS) in that the layer of metallic powder is fully molten As previously discussed, consumer demand for throughout. The method does not require any binders or increasingly novel products has resulted in the need fl uxing agents. Each run of the laser beam partly overlaps for extreme fl exibility in the design and production of the preceding run, and a protective gas atmosphere is jewellery, the ability to respond rapidly to ever changing maintained above the interaction zone of the laser beam demands, and the implementation of a streamlined and the metallic powder. Once fi nished the powder bed product development process by manufacturers of is removed from the machine and excess powder is personalised and custom-made products, not just then removed and can be fully recycled, although some jewellery. The UK jewellery industry has a signifi cant sieving may be required. Figure 1 shows a schematic