Mantle delivers its first production metal Additive Manufacturing machine to Westec

EquipmentNews
August 31, 2023

August 31, 2023

Westec Plastic installing their Mantle metal Additive Manufacturing machine (Courtesy Mantle)
Westec Plastic installing their Mantle metal Additive Manufacturing machine (Courtesy Mantle)

Mantle Inc., San Francisco, California, USA, has delivered its first production-specification metal AM machine to Westec Plastics, a custom plastic injection moulder and tool builder in Livermore, California. Having completed multiple beta deployments, Mantle is now shipping production versions of its P-200 manufacturer and F-200 furnace, incorporating additional hardware and process refinements.

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“Having the Mantle equipment in-house enables Westec to complete prototype and production steel tooling inserts with a much shorter lead time than standard mould builds,” stated Tammy Barras, President of Westec Plastics. “This will benefit our customers by providing production-quality steel tooling with aluminium tooling lead times.”

Mantle’s AM system features the P-200 AM machine and F-200 sintering furnace (Courtesy Mantle)
Mantle’s AM system features the P-200 AM machine and F-200 sintering furnace (Courtesy Mantle)

Mantle uses its proprietary TrueShape technology – a hybrid material extrusion (MEX), CNC and sinter-based process to refine the shape of AM tools and deliver accuracy as well as good surface finish and properties. The P-200 Additive Manufacturing machine is built on a CNC platform that integrates building and machining to produce parts with the accuracy and surface finish required for tooling. The P-200 machine has a build volume of 200 mm x 200 mm x 150 mm.

A sintering stage follows using the company’s F-200 furnace. This furnace can sinter multiple parts and will support multiple AM machines. Mantle offers two tool steel materials, H13 and P2X (a steel comparable to P20), said to be durable, stable, and perform like traditional tool steels with secondary operations like machining, polishing, coating, and laser welding.

www.westecplastics.com

www.mantle3d.com

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Westec Plastic installing their Mantle metal Additive Manufacturing machine (Courtesy Mantle)
EquipmentNews
August 31, 2023

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

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Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Kennametal: The story of the successful commercialisation of AM hardmetal and steel solutions
  • General Atomics Aeronautical on metal Additive Manufacturing’s place at the centre of the digital manufacturing revolution
  • Adrian Keppler on Additive Manufacturing: An insider’s assessment from the outside
  • Metal AM’s journey to industrialisation: Are we there yet? And what does the destination even look like?
  • A stronger future, layer by layer: How next-generation software will drive adoption of metal AM
  • Volkmann: Making the case for the complete automation of powder handling in AM
  • Metal AM on an industrial scale: GKN Additive draws on decades of sintering expertise to commercialise Binder Jetting
  • International Conference on Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing: Highlights from EBAM 2023

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