Whilst Additive Manufacturing is undoubtedly having a huge impact on the design and manufacture of rocket propulsion systems, most notably combustion chambers and nozzles, the Achilles’ heel of most AM processes is as-built surface finish. Whilst in many AM applications surface finish may be largely irrelevant to a component’s function or performance, when it comes to high-cycle fatigue properties, achieving the required level of smoothness is critical to performance. In this article, Justin Michaud, REM Surface Engineering, reports on advancements achieved in this area through a public-private partnership with NASA. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 3, Autumn/Fall 2020]
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A new wave of AM machine manufacturers focused on Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) is looking to capitalise on what is perceived as a process with significant untapped market potential. One of the most prominent of these newcomers is Freemelt AB, a developer of open source machines designed to help broaden the PBF-EB material portfolio and application areas. As Metal AM magazine’s Emily-Jo Hopson-VandenBos reports, co-founders Ulric Ljungblad and Ulf Ackelid have no doubt as to the opportunities ahead. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 2, Summer 2020]
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In January, Boeing’s new 777X aircraft made its maiden flight, powered by two GE9X engines from GE Aviation. Whilst this was a major moment for both companies, it was also a huge milestone for Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB), and the culmination of decades of process and material development work at the driving force behind the technology, Arcam AB. Whilst the many turbine blades used in the GE9X engine are the highlight of the first chapter in the story of PBF-EB, there is also a lingering sense of unrealised potential. Here, Joseph Kowen considers the story to date and highlights a new generation of firms working to increase the technology’s adoption. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 2, Summer 2020]
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Able to achieve quicker build speeds and lower cost per part than its rival technologies, metal Binder Jetting (BJT) has generated increasing interest and rapid industry investment over the past two years. But while many engineers are now becoming familiar with the principles of design for Powder Bed Fusion AM, design for BJT is less widely understood. In this article, Olaf Diegel and Terry Wohlers attempt to demystify some of the key factors that must be considered when designing parts for BJT. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 2, Summer 2020]
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As the metal Additive Manufacturing industry matures at a rapid rate, organisations are now faced with the challenge of scaling their AM operations. Based on a study of 253 companies in a number of sectors, US-based AM software specialist Link3D has developed an ‘Additive Manufacturing Maturity Model’. This simple model can be used as a tool to understand an organisation’s AM maturity whilst also helping them navigate the steps to developing an agile and resilient AM supply chain. Shane Fox, CEO and co-founder of Link3D, explains. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 2, Summer 2020]
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Just as Design for AM demands an entirely new mindset to be truly effective, understanding efficient AM machine utilisation in order to drive profitability also requires a major shift from conventional practices. In this article, Magnitude Innovations Inc’s Matt Tusz, Founder and CEO, and Caterina Pampolari, Business Development Manager, explore operational and financial losses in metal Additive Manufacturing. They offer advice on how to overcome these growth barriers through production efficiency and profitable pricing strategies, with a focus on Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 2, Summer 2020]
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Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) is a technology rich in process parameters and exacting material specifications, all developed with the aim of delivery quality and repeatability as the industry moves towards volume production. However, without control of a laser’s focal spot, neither the material specification nor the handling of the material in the build chamber can guarantee the hoped-for results. As Ophir Spiricon Europe’s Christian Dini explains, when it comes to lasers, there is no control without the gathering of reliable data. [First published in Metal AM Vol. 6 No. 2, Summer 2020]
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During the Euro PM2019 Congress and Exhibition in Maastricht, the Netherlands, this October, a number of Special Interest Seminars were held focusing on various aspects of the Powder Metallurgy and Additive Manufacturing industries. In one seminar, Dr Uemit Aydin, GKN Additive, and Nicholas Turner, Materials Solutions, looked to the future of Additive Manufacturing and expressed their views on its industrialisation. David Whittaker attended the SIS on behalf of Metal AM magazine and reports on its conclusions.[First published in Metal AM Vol. 5 No. 4, Winter 2019]
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On July 4, 2019, Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) sponsored and co-organised a one-day symposium in Melbourne entitled ‘Towards a True Digital Twin’. The event, which followed APICAM 2019, the 2nd Asia-Pacific International Conference on Additive Manufacturing, brought together experts in a range of relevant fields including metal Additive Manufacturing, computational modelling, multi-scale techniques, structure-property relations, machine learning and artificial intelligence, and digital twins of industrial processes. Here, CSIRO Manufacturing’s Dr Dayalan Gunasegaram and Dr Tony Murphy consider the importance of the digital twin in AM and report on some of the event’s key findings.
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At the 2019 Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) Conference in Chicago, Illinois, a panel was held to discuss requirements for Additive Manufacturing systems. Despite the late hour of the panel and depth in the week at which it was held, a formidable crowd organised themselves to hear Ryan Dehoff of ORNL, Filip Francqui of Granutools and John Barnes of The Barnes Group Advisors discuss the topic of powder in AM. In this article, the panellists explore in more detail the differences in powder requirements between AM systems.
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The third Metal Additive Manufacturing Conference (MAMC2018), organised by the Austrian Society for Metallurgy and Materials (ASMET) and voestalpine, took place in Vienna, Austria, from November 21–23, 2018. The event, which attracted an international audience, covered a broad range of metal AM technologies and considered the technical challenges that need to be overcome to make the industry more economically competitive with conventional manufacturing. Prof Dr Bruno Buchmayr, Dr Bruno Hribernik, Dipl-Ing Gerhard Panzl and Prof Dr Jürgen Stampfl review the event for Metal AM magazine.
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Technical papers presented at the Euro PM2018 conference, organised by the European Powder Metallurgy Association (EPMA) and held in Bilbao, Spain, October 14-18, 2018, addressed issues related to the influences of chemical contamination and powder characteristics on processability in metal Additive Manufacturing. In the following report, Dr David Whittaker reviews four presented papers that touched on each of these issues.
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