AddUp and ECM Group to develop heat treatment solutions for AM
July 14, 2022
AddUp, headquartered in Cébazat, France, has signed a partnership agreement with ECM Group, a thermal solutions manufacturer headquartered in Grenoble, France, to develop thermal treatment solutions for additively manufactured parts.
“Heat treatment operations are just as important as the 3D printing phase itself, both to reduce the internal stresses generated during the ‘lasering’ phase and to adapt the microstructure of the material and its properties,” stated Jean Rivoire, Parts Production Manager at AddUp. “This is why, within AddUp, we are seeking to strengthen this expertise with one of the market leaders; both to reinforce our internal production capacities and to offer a complete solution to our customers wishing to integrate the production of parts made in 3D metal.”
The companies aim to create and develop solutions that will help current and prospective customers reduce their manufacturing costs and lead times, while improving the performance of their parts produced using AM. They will collaborate on a development programme to define the appropriate specifications for a heat treatment solutions adapted to Additive Manufacturing applications. The ECM Group will design and industrialise a suitable vacuum furnace system according to the specifications defined during this joint development programme.
Yvan Trouillot, Sales Director for ECM, commented, “At ECM, we are convinced of the potential of metal Additive Manufacturing, some applications of which will lead to mass production. Our alliance with the French company AddUp, a key player in this market, will allow us to bring our know-how for the development of innovative thermal solutions to this market, as we have been doing for more than twenty years in the international market of thermal treatment of conventional parts. Together, our ambition is to develop these technologies to help our customers progress by offering them the best solutions on the market.”
