VTT, based in Espoo, Finland, is one of Europe’s largest research and technology centres with a long track record in metal powder processing technologies. In the following case study VTT’s Erin Komi reviews the development of an additively manufactured valve block for demanding industrial applications. The project, in conjunction with industrial partner Nurmi Cylinders, looked at the optimisation of the valve block in terms of size reduction, weight saving and performance gains [First published in Metal AM Vol. 2 No. 1, Spring 2016]
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The much anticipated inaugural formnext exhibition took place in Frankfurt from November 17-20, 2015. Squarely aimed at an industrial audience, the event succeeded in attracting almost all the major metal Additive Manufacturing technology suppliers. Whilst taglined as the international exhibition on additive technologies and tool making, there was a real sense that it was the Additive Manufacturing community that most fully embraced this new exhibition concept. As Metal AM magazine’s Nick Williams reports, AM technology suppliers took the opportunity to make a number of new product launches and announcements [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 4, Winter 2015]
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Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) has been used for a number of decades as a method to consolidate metal powders and metal matrix composites to produce fully dense components, to eliminate porosity in sintered parts, to produce metal clad parts through diffusion bonding, and to eliminate defects in castings. HIP is now also playing an important role in assuring and increasing the quality of critical components produced by powder-based Additive Manufacturing. In the following article Magnus Ahlfors and Johan Hjärne describe the HIP process and its influence on the microstructure and properties of AM Ti-6Al-4V alloys [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 4, Winter 2015]
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Despite playing a significant role in the early development of Additive Manufacturing technologies, there is a belief in Japan that the country’s industry has fallen behind in the wider adoption of metal Additive Manufacturing. In this report for Metal AM magazine Professor Hideki Kyogoku, of Kinki University, and a project leader of the country’s Technology Research Association for Future Additive Manufacturing (TRAFAM), reviews the history of the technology in Japan and its current status. He also presents the work being undertaken by TRAFAM on the development of the next generation of metal AM systems and materials [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 3, Autumn 2015]
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Metal Additive Manufacturing promises to enable smaller organisations to compete with global corporations in the development of new products. Expensive tooling and traditional production lines, it is suggested, need no longer be a barrier to market. As US-based designer and engineer Spencer Wright reveals in this insightful report, the reality of developing a low volume AM titanium part for production exposes a number of challenges that the industry needs to overcome if it is truly able to serve a new generation of product developers [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 3, Autumn 2015]
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The PM Titanium 2015 conference, held in Lüneburg, Germany, from August 31 to September 3, 2015, was the latest in the series of international conferences specifically focused on the processing, consolidation and metallurgy of titanium. As Dr David Whittaker reports for Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine, the ambition to apply titanium AM components in critical applications continues to drive researchers to further understand the influences of processing parameters on achieved microstructure and on the relationships between microstructure and mechanical properties [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 3, Autumn 2015]
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With such intense levels of interest in Additive Manufacturing, the pressure for businesses to adopt the technology can be high. Expectations, however, need to be managed and the business opportunities and challenges need to be understood. As Onno Ponfoort and Chris Krampitz explain, the dilemmas for any company looking to move into this arena range from fully understanding the advantages that the technology presents to ensuring that those tasked with the project, as well as potential customers, have the necessary technical training [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 3, Autumn 2015]
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The growth in metal Additive Manufacturing has attracted a wide range of companies to enter the market to supply metal powders, however few have the track record of Hoeganaes Corporation in the production of powders for industrial parts production. In the following article, the company reports on the development of gas atomised titanium powders for metal AM, along with its ambitions to introduce more cost-effective water atomised powders that have the potential to help the industry move towards higher volume production [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 3, Autumn 2015]
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The consistency of metal powder particle size, shape and flow is essential for those companies looking to move to serial production of high quality components. The correct characterisation of powders enables the necessary quality control to ensure powder behaviour is predictable and repeatable from batch to batch. Dr Paul Kippax, Product Group Manager, Malvern Instruments, and Dr Robert Deffley, Research & Development Manager, LPW Technology, report on the process undertaken at LPW to ensure its powders meet customer expectations [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 3, Autumn 2015]
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Additive Industries b.v., based in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, announced at the RAPID 2015 event in Long Beach, USA, that its new metal Additive Manufacturing system, MetalFAB1, will be launched later this year. Dr Georg Schlieper visited the company for Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine and reports on the vision behind the development of its new machine, as well as the AddLab ‘open innovation’ consortium that has proved to be so successful in The Netherlands [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 2, Summer 2015]
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Additive Manufacturing technology is rapidly making gains in the aerospace sector, particularly in the field of aero engine construction. Munich-based MTU Aero Engines is the first company to use this technology for the serial production of borescope bosses used in the new PurePower® PW1100G-JM engine from Pratt & Whitney and fitted to the Airbus A320neo aircraft. In this report Metal AM magazine reviews the development of the technology at MTU and the close collaboration with EOS that helped to ensure the success of the project [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 2, Summer 2015]
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The Rapid.Tech Conference and Exhibition was first held in Erfurt, Germany, eleven years ago and since then this annual event has attracted ever more visitors. Originally a German language event, the organisers have in recent years worked hard to increase its international appeal and this year the conference was held both in German and English with simultaneous translation. Dr Georg Schlieper reports for Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 2, Summer 2015]
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