Page 22 - 3D Metal Printing Winter 2018

3D GRIMM’S TALES BY TODD GRIMM
Conversation with BasTech, Inc. —Part 1
In this two-part column, Ben Staub, president of BasTech, Inc., Dayton, OH, shares his metal-additive-manufactur- ing (AM) thoughts, observations and recommendations.
Ben Staub’s 3D-printing history is extensive and varied. Following years spent toolmaking in his family’s business, he founded BasTech, an early entrant in 3D-printing services. Over the past 24 years, BasTech has expanded its tool shop, established itself as a reseller of 3D-printing equipment and adopted metal AM. His thoughts draw from decades of experience as a user of the technology as well as a sup- plier of services and systems.
Real Value Today; Near-Term Advancements
“Companies should realize that metal additive manufacturing offers huge ben- efits now; it’s not a distant promise,” says Staub.
He has seen the advantages through inhouse use and customer experiences stretching across more than a decade.
Todd Grimm (todd.grimm@tagrimm.com) is the founder and president of T. A. Grimm & Associates, Inc., a consulting and communications company dedicated to additive manufacturing. A 26-year veteran of the AM industry, he is a consultant, author, writer, speaker and researcher. He also has served as an advisor for various associations and publications.
This column presents a balanced, unbiased view (no Grimm’s fairy tales) of metal additive manufacturing. Its messages are those that users feel are important to share and that are discovered through informal conversations with Todd Grimm. There are no agendas, and there are no pre-prepared interview questions.
3DXpert software, a major staple of BasTech’s AM efforts and capabilities, simulates the effects of stresses to guide placement of support structures.
“We still have tools running in our tool shop, production tools, made with AM more than 10 years ago,” he comments.
Staub also points to work supported by a 2015 grant from the State of Ohio for proving how metal AM can enhance toolmaking.
“We did some just flat-out cool things with 3D-printed cavities and cores for injection molding,” he says.
“The results proved how well
the process works.”
While metal AM provides
real value today, Staub notes that metal AM is an alterna- tive to existing processes, not a replacement.
“I'm not saying it's the best for everything,” he explains, “but it is a serious tool in the
TODD GRIMM
tool shop. We use it a lot for building our tools, but we use it only where it's need- ed. We still run vertical machining cen- ters, cutting centers and everything else.”
Staub also acknowledges that metal- AM technology has room for advance- ment which, when it happens, will improve the value and extend the opportunities to apply it. That advance- ment, he believes, is upon us, placing metal AM on the cusp of becoming pro- duction-grade technology.
On the Cusp
In terms of refinement and finesse, Staub likens the maturity of metal AM to that of stereolithography in the late- 1990s.
“Right now, a lot of the machines are still what I would consider to be fine for a prototype environment but not neces- sarily ideal to support a production process,” he opines.
The capabilities preventing metal AM from being considered a production- class process fall into three categories: predictability, repeatability and automa- tion. Predictability encompasses the learning curve and knowledge base needed to print good parts.
“Companies should realize that metal additive manufacturing offers huge benefits now; it’s not a distant promise,” says Ben Staub, founder and president of BasTech, Inc.
20 | 3D METAL PRINTING • WINTER 2018
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