Processing

Constellium Aheadd® CP1 alloy: Breakthrough productivity in PBF-LB Additive Manufacturing

A collaborative study between Constellium SE, a global leader in aluminium materials headquartered in Paris, France, and a leading German AM research institute, has developed a new alloy which paves the way for cost-effective and high-performance AM components in series production. In this article, Constellium’s Dr Bechir Chehab and Syam Unnikrishnan present the company’s Aheadd® CP1 alloy, revealing cutting-edge productivity, very good mechanical properties, and the possibility to reduce Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) processing costs by up to 65%. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 7 No. 1, Spring 2022] ... Read more »

Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion: Process developments and numerical simulation

A technical session at the Euro PM2021 Virtual Congress, organised by the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) and held October 18–22, 2021, was devoted to the consideration of process developments and numerical simulation approaches for Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) Additive Manufacturing technologies. In this report, Dr David Whittaker reviews four of the papers presented on this topic, looking at process parameter optimisation, increasing quality for Ti6Al4V medical parts, techniques to improve the AM of hot-work tool steels, and powder spreading improvements for stainless steel. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 7 No. 4, Winter 2021] ... Read more »

The inestimable value of AI: How Machine Learning can help AM project teams achieve their goals and beyond

They each have similar two-letter acronyms, and, for both technologies, it can be hard to separate hype from reality. But Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Additive Manufacturing also overlap in interesting and beneficial ways. In this article, Stephen Warde of Intellegens considers how AI methods such as Machine Learning (ML) could help AM to deliver against expectations – and at the very least, to meet more realistic and commercially essential objectives, such as consistently delivering lighter, stronger components and supporting on-demand manufacturing. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 7 No. 4, Winter 2021] ... Read more »

Binder Jetting and beyond: Insights from Fraunhofer IFAM’s second workshop on sinter-based Additive Manufacturing

Processing
December 15, 2021

After a one-year break, seventy industry and R&D participants from twelve countries found their way to the 2nd Workshop on Sinter Based Additive Manufacturing, Bremen, Germany, held from September 15–16, 2021. Industry suppliers, part producers, end users and researchers, as well as experts from the event organiser, Fraunhofer IFAM, considered the status of existing and new technologies in the field. Whilst metal Binder Jetting (BJT) received most attention, Material Extrusion (MEX) technologies were also covered in depth. Prof Dr-Ing. Frank Petzoldt and Dr Sebastian Hein report. [[First published in Metal AM Vol. 7 No. 4, Winter 2021] ... Read more »

Burloak and the AM scalability challenge: A contract manufacturer’s perspective on the shift to volume production

We all love to talk about how Additive Manufacturing can transform product design, improve an application’s performance, reduce part count and material waste, enable faster design cycles and far more besides. But what is less often discussed is the challenge of scaling up production once an application has been developed. It is this aspect of AM that has been the focus of activity at Burloak Technologies. In this article, the company’s Jason Ball, VP & General Manager, and Keyvan Hosseinkhani, Technical Director, consider the challenges of scaling AM, and how they can be overcome. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 7 No. 4, Winter 2021] ... Read more »

Simufact Additive: Accelerating the metal Binder Jetting workflow with sintering simulation

The ability to ‘design out’ distortion during sintering is seen as key to enabling the faster commercialisation of metal Binder Jetting (BJT). The Simufact Additive software platform, now on the third release of its BJT sintering module, is able to accurately simulate the sintering process, predicting shrinkage, slumping and friction-related distortion, either with or without ‘live’ and ‘ceramic’ setters, resulting in a downloadable ‘compensated’ component geometry to be fed directly to the AM machine. In this article, Jeff Robertson explores through case studies how The ExOne Company has been using the software in its AM adoption and R&D centres to optimise customer parts for sintering. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 3, Autumn 2021] ... Read more »

How X-ray Computed Tomography is helping an AM service bureau to improve predictive-model based qualification

As metal Additive Manufacturing continues to grow as a technology for the production of critical end-use parts for the most demanding of applications, X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) remains an unrivalled non-destructive testing tool. In this article, Yxlon’s Nathan Serafino and Dirk Steiner report on how Materials Resources LLC, an additive metals research and manufacturing company, defence contractor, and ‘fast factory’, is going a step further, using the technology to improve predictive-model based qualification processes as well as to calibrate in-process monitoring. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 3, Autumn 2021] ... Read more »

Separating metal AM parts from the build plate – an underestimated challenge

Processing
October 20, 2021

Within the Additive Manufacturing workflow, it is easy to underestimate the challenge of removing parts from a build plate. As GF Machining Solutions’ Dogan Basic explains, in Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) the wrong choice of equipment can lead to higher costs, longer build times and even part breakages. In response to this challenge, the company developed a solution designed specifically for PBF-LB build plate removal: the AgieCharmilles CUT AM 500. Here, Basic introduces the features and benefits that the CUT AM 500 brings to the industry. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 3, Autumn 2021] ... Read more »

Reducing residual stress with 500°C build chamber preheating for ‘first time right’ PBF-LB

Processing
October 20, 2021

According to Germany’s Trumpf GmbH + Co. KG, preheating the substrate plate in Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) to 500°C brings significant advantages in serial production: complex parts are more likely to be built successfully on the first try, design freedom increases, there is little residual stress and no cracks – and, for the first time, high-carbon alloy parts can be built reliably, without cracks, to a density comparable with their conventionally produced counterparts. Here, the company shares the results of tests demonstrating the advantages of 500°C preheating, and introduces the technology making it possible for manufacturers to integrate this step into their PBF workflow, and reap the benefits. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 3, Autumn 2021] ... Read more »

Taking the holistic view: Defining the state-of-the-art in the evolving PBF-LB machine marketplace

Processing
July 19, 2021

In a rapidly evolving Additive Manufacturing landscape, choosing a machine for the production of parts by Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) is now about far more than a cost per part calculation. In this article, Sebastian Becker, EOS GmbH, considers how a host of additional factors now need to be considered when exploring the AM machine marketplace, from the specifics of a machine’s operation to software, IP protection and beyond. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 7 No. 2, Summer 2021] ... Read more »

Forging a process for mass customisation via metal Additive Manufacturing

Metal Additive Manufacturing technologies offer the potential for true mass customisation, but in order to leverage this opportunity, new, complex workflows and business models have to be implemented. In this article, Siemens Digital Industries Software’s Ashley Eckhoff considers the challenges when addressing the topic, from the addition of further complexity, to an already challenging Additive Manufacturing workflow, to traceability and regulation. By adapting the AM process to meet these needs, companies can reap the benefits of new markets uniquely suited to this technology. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 7 No. 2, Summer 2021] ... Read more »

Optimised thermal management in semiconductor fabrication using AI-enabled generative design and Additive Manufacturing

An unexpected consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic has been its impact on the multibillion dollar semiconductor microchip market: at the very same moment as demand for consumer electronics skyrocketed due to global lockdowns, the supply of semiconductors was bottlenecked by production disruptions. Now, supply chain shortages threaten the production volume of the industries dependent on these parts. Scott Green and Niels Holmstock, 3D Systems, and Lieven Vervecken and Gert-Jan Paulus, Diabatix, explore how metal AM can be used to increase efficiency in semiconductor fabrication and boost the speed at which these vital components can be produced. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 7 No. 2, Summer 2021] ... Read more »

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:

  • Metal powders in Additive Manufacturing: An exploration of sustainable production, usage and recycling
  • Inside Wayland Additive: How innovation in electron beam PBF is opening new markets for AM
  • An end-to-end production case study: Leveraging data-driven machine learning and autonomous process control in AM
  • Consolidation, competition, and the cost of certification: Insight from New York’s AM Strategies 2024
  • Scandium’s impact on the Additive Manufacturing of aluminium alloys
  • AM for medical implants: An analysis of the impact of powder reuse in Powder Bed Fusion

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