The wide potential of Additive Manufacturing in the oil and gas and maritime sector has come to be widely accepted, with the technology offering significant advantages in terms of lead time, part weight, part count, higher levels of geometric complexity and new material properties. However, in these safety-critical industries, there remain some concerns regarding the quality of AM parts. A Joint Industry Project (JIP), begun in January 2018 and consisting of twenty partners, aims to deliver a new JIP Guideline on Additive Manufacturing for this sector. Here, DNV-GL’s Harsharn Singh Tathgar and Berenschot’s Onno Ponfoort report on the guideline’s development. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 3, Autumn 2019]
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Whilst the principles of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) may suggest ‘clean-sheet’ components are the best way to reap the benefits of AM technology, many examples of redesigns have brought significant performance and economic benefits. In this article, Ray Huff and Terry Wohlers report on further success at Siemens in the use of AM for gas turbine fuel swirlers, highlighting both the development process and the evolving role of digital data in manufacturing.
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In 2016 SAP and UPS announced their collaboration to develop a supply chain management solution that spans the complete AM process chain, from component evaluation and design to delivery of the final product. Leading US-based AM service provider Linear AMS, a Moog company, is one of several manufacturers involved in the venture. Linear AMS’s Bruce Colter and Moog’s George Small review the drivers behind on-demand manufacturing and present recent developments in materials, applications and component verification.
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The aerospace sector has been a key driver in the commercial development of metal Additive Manufacturing. Whilst some of the major application announcements of recent years can be looked back upon as milestones for the industry, numerous lower profile developments continue to demonstrate how metal AM has the capability to increase efficiency and add value in a multitude of application areas. We review a paper published in the Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society highlighting the potential for an innovative oil-gas separation rotor for aero-engine applications.
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Additive Manufacturing has been heralded as a game-changing technology of the future. But while many ‘green’ and ecological initiatives have bloomed from the AM movement, the question remains: “Is AM environmentally friendly?” As Olaf Diegel, Ray Huff, and Terry Wohlers explain, the short answer is: it can be, in the hands of good designers and well-informed manufacturers. As with any tool or process, knowledge and experience are key. It is important to explore the many ways AM is applied in sustainable ways and whether it is improving. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 1, Spring 2020]
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Now in its third year, the Munich Technology Conference series has achieved a remarkable status in its short history. It is recognised not only for bringing together the most powerful and influential minds in the international AM community, but for engaging them in open and broad-ranging discussions on the future of the industry. It is also an event that unashamedly ‘wears its heart on its sleeve’, having grown from the optimism of MTC1 to MTC2’s call for vital collaboration, and a ‘reality check’ in the face of economic uncertainty at MTC3. Metal AM magazine’s Emily-Jo Hopson reports. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 4, Winter 2019]
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Additive Manufacturing is arguably the ideal production method for numerous aerospace applications, particularly where lightweighting and part consolidation are concerns – yet no other industry takes such a cautious approach to embracing new manufacturing methods and imposes so many hurdles on the path to certification. In this article, Germany’s Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG tracks the production journey of one part for Spain’s Ramem S.A., as well as looking at further cases from the aerospace industry. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 4, Winter 2019]
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United Technologies Corp (UTC), through its Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace businesses, has a long history of innovation in aerospace engineering. As Venkat Vedula, Executive Director of UTC’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Expertise (AMCoE), and Vijay Jagdale, the centre’s Principal Engineer, explain, this tradition is today being continued through the corporation’s cutting-edge Additive Manufacturing activities. This report highlights, with the support of an in-depth case study, the centre’s core areas of activity and UTC’s vision for the future of AM.
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On June 12th, HP Inc. formally opened its new 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing Center of Excellence at its campus in Barcelona, Spain. Metal AM magazine’s Emily-Jo Hopson attended the event and here reports on the 14,000 m2 facility’s opening and the company’s rapid rise in the world of Additive Manufacturing. She reveals how, whilst the company is not traditionally associated with equipment for industrial manufacturing, many of its core technologies directly lend themselves to a new generation of metal binder jetting systems. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 2, Summer 2019]
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With the right training and experience, a design engineer can quickly make an informed decision on whether a production part might be suitable for Additive Manufacturing. For the rest of us, some basic rules can be applied to understand if a product is a good fit. Here, Ray Huff and Terry Wohlers outline six questions that should be asked before going down the AM route for series production, and present a selection of successful real-world application examples that illustrate the issues raised.
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Sweden’s VBN Components AB has successfully combined the design freedoms offered by Additive Manufacturing with innovative process and material developments to create a new generation of high-strength, carbide-rich tool materials. These unique, patented alloys are transforming tool and wear component performance across a range of applications, from gear cutting hobs to food processing and the mining sector. Isabelle Bodén reports on the company’s development and the unique properties of its products. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 2, Summer 2019]
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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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