With two decades of experience in part production using Additive Manufacturing technologies, 3T Additive Manufacturing Ltd, based in Newbury, UK, today enjoys a strong position as an international developer and supplier of cutting edge metal AM components. At a time of transition for the company, Metal AM magazine’s Nick Williams and Emily-Jo Hopson met with outgoing CEO Ian Halliday and his successor, Nigel Robinson, to discuss the evolution of the metal AM industry to date and the business’s plans for further expansion [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 1, Spring 2019]
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Australian expertise is today becoming much more commonplace on the international AM scene. From technology and materials suppliers to application developers, companies are growing on the back of world-class research and education facilities, and a business environment where innovation and international trade are rewarded. Combine this with an abundance of AM-relevant natural resources and, as Alex Kingsbury explains, an environment has been created in which AM is thriving. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 1, Spring 2019]
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Additive Manufacturing is not a cheap production process. The software, machine time, materials and expertise required to make the most of the technology all come at a significant cost. The resulting financial pressures may give rise to the temptation to select a material on its price and view advanced topology optimisation as a luxury. As Jon Meyer, APWORKS, and John Barnes, The Barnes Group Advisors, demonstrate, the unique capabilities of AM mean that basing material choice on cost without considering the impact of material performance on the mass of the part is a false economy, limiting the competitiveness of AM and the potential of an application [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 1, Spring 2019]
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In the following article, UL LLC’s Balakrishnan V Nair discusses key safety issues in metal Additive Manufacturing, identifying some of the principal sources of risk associated with production operations and sharing safety concerns as encountered in UL’s work with metal AM clients globally. In addition, Nair highlights some of the benefits that many AM facilities have enjoyed as a result of the successful implementation of sound safety practices [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 1, Spring 2019]
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In a bid to better understand the impact of process parameters on material performance, the U.S. Navy turned to Senvol to develop data-driven machine learning software for Additive Manufacturing. As Zach Simkin and Annie Wang explain, such an approach allows the user to overcome the time and expense required by a conventional trial-and-error process, whilst delivering remarkably accurate results that have the potential to accelerate application development [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 1, Spring 2019]
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Build failures remain a major challenge in metal Additive Manufacturing, particularly on large parts for which build times are measured in many days rather than hours. They come at a high price in lost machine time, wasted material and delayed deliveries. Olaf Diegel and Terry Wohlers explain a number of reasons for such failures in Laser Powder Bed Fusion processes. In many cases, one can reduce their risk through effective part and support design, parameter control and machine maintenance. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 1, Spring 2019]
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With the launch of a number of new systems targeting the series production of components, Binder Jetting is generating a high level of interest in the world of metal Additive Manufacturing and beyond. In the following report, Sebastian Boris Hein, Claus Aumund-Kopp and Bastian Barthel of Fraunhofer IFAM review the main process considerations and production steps in the Binder Jetting of metals as related to series production, highlighting both the advantages of the technology and the challenges that it poses [First published in Metal AM Vol. 4 No. 4, Winter 2018]
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X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), also widely known as MicroCT, is a proven method for not only checking the structural integrity of additively manufactured (AM) parts – for example for unwanted porosity – but also for checking a build’s dimensional accuracy. The main advantage of the technique is of course the non-destructive nature of the assessment; however, there are also many misunderstandings about the capabilities and complexity of the technology. Prof Anton du Plessis and Dr Jess M Waller review the application of CT testing in relation to metal AM and highlight the advantages of a move towards standardised test methods [First published in Metal AM Vol. 4 No. 4, Winter 2018]
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From November 13-16, 2018, the Additive Manufacturing world congregated in Frankfurt, Germany, to attend the year’s final and arguably most significant international exhibition on the technology. Occupying more than 37,000 m2 of floor space, Formnext 2018 attracted nearly 27,000 visitors – an increase of more than 25% on the previous year – and over 600 global exhibitors. In this report, Metal AM’s Emily-Jo Hopson covers some of the news and developments out of Formnext, and looks at how they reflect an industry turning its focus toward productivity and efficiency for true industrialisation [First published in Metal AM Vol. 4 No. 4, Winter 2018]
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Organised by the U.S. Commercial Service in Dusseldorf, Germany, the Additive Manufacturing/3D Printing Standards Forum took place on November 14, 2018, in Frankfurt, Germany, at the Formnext trade fair. As Dr Georg Schlieper reports, the event brought together leading experts from industry, research institutions, standards developing organisations, professional societies and government to address key themes focused on standards development in AM technologies. This included progress on international standards development for AM and how the use of these standards can help the industry achieve its potential [First published in Metal AM Vol. 4 No. 4, Winter 2018]
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Whilst machine builders once again dominated Formnext 2018, the world’s metal powder producers have also become an increasingly important part of the event as the industry evolves towards serial production. In the following report, Toby Tingskog highlights some of the major events in the world of AM-related metal powder production in 2018, along with a number of trends that became apparent as a result of conversations with producers in the exhibit hall [First published in Metal AM Vol. 4 No. 4, Winter 2018]
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Anyone who starts out on their own evaluation of the opportunities presented by metal Additive Manufacturing will soon stumble across the phrase ‘build failure’. Whilst there can be many causes for a failed build, which of course comes at a significant cost in terms of both material wastage and machine time, residual stress is often at the top of the list. As Olaf Diegel and Terry Wohlers explain, residual stress can be both anticipated and managed though a combination of basic design rules, process settings and post-build heat treatment [First published in Metal AM Vol. 4 No. 4, Winter 2018]
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