Freemelt to launch industrial eMELT at Formnext
October 24, 2022
Freemelt, Mölndal, Sweden, is launching its new industrial Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) machine, the eMELT, at Formnext 2022. This new machine was developed for large-scale Additive Manufacturing, opening the company’s customer base. The estimated first delivery for the machine is at the end of 2023.
“With eMELT, we take 3D printing to a new level,” stated Daniel Gidlund, CEO of Freemelt. “eMELT ****has, among other things, higher beam power compared to other systems on the market. This, together with our recently launched software Pixelmelt, allows the customer to optimise the melting process reducing production costs while allowing for better quality and higher production capacity. Thus, we are alone in being able to offer a solution that competes with traditional manufacturing in several areas.”
The use of Additive Manufacturing is growing in the production of titanium implants – with over five million hip and knee surgeries performed globally, it’s an important market for the technology. Last year, a reported 300 AM machines were sold to this industry.
“When it comes to implants, we know that a 3D printed knee or hip joint leads to a better quality of life for the patient,” added Per Woxenius, COO. “This is because a 3D printed implant with Freemelt’s technology has a better ability to attach to the bone than a traditionally manufactured implant, which in turn means that patients minimise the risk of having a revision operation later in life.”
In addition to manufacturing implants, eMELT can also be used to manufacture components in tungsten and copper. The market for products developed in these materials is expanding rapidly, including large-scale applications such as renewable energy, medical technology, and the transition to electrically powered vehicles and aircraft.
Ulric Ljungblad, CIO, stated, “We work closely with our customers to develop new materials and solutions in Freemelt ONE. For example, we see that 3D printed copper parts produced with our technology provide higher conductivity, which creates significant added value to customers focused on heat exchangers and electromobility.”
“eMELT enables production of components in titanium, copper and tungsten using 3D-printing to a cost that was previously not possible,” he continued. This is important in for instance the development of fusion power, an area that is growing extremely fast and that requires materials such as tungsten which can withstand extreme temperatures. For this application, Freemelt has a manufacturing technology that is superior to other methods and thus can take a leading global position.”
