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 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 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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Concept Laser, based in Lichtenfels, Germany, is a leading provider of manufacturing equipment for metal Additive Manufacturing using its patented LaserCUSING® technology. In this article the company reports on the development of the next generation of its quality assurance monitoring system, QMmeltpool 3D, which will be available on its M1 and M2 cusing machines from 2016. The system, states Concept Laser, promises to make a significant contribution to detecting process defects at an early stage as well being an indispensable tool for process optimisation [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 2, Summer 2015]
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Materials Solutions Limited, located in Worcester, UK, is a world-class specialist in the Additive Manufacturing of functional parts using the Selective Laser Melting process. Dr David Whittaker reports for Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine on a visit to the company, where he spoke with founder and Managing Director, Carl Brancher [First published in Metal AM Vol. 1 No. 1, Spring 2015]
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