Page 11 - 3D Metal Printing Fall 2018

NCMS to Collaborate on U.S. Army Program
The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), based in Ann Arbor, MI, has reached an agreement with the Unit- ed States Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in Aberdeen, MD, to manage the Advanced Manufacturing, Materials, and Processes (AMMP) program.
The newly established AMMP, a col- laboration of government, industry and academic partners, is intended to devel- op solutions for design and cost reduc- tion as well as delivery time for the U.S. Army. It is expected to reduce time to market, produce stronger and lighter parts, improve efficiency, reduce waste, and create complex geometries and advanced materials.
The Army’s six modernization priori- ties, as articulated by Army leaders, include: long-range precision fire, next- generation combat vehicles, future verti- cal-lift platforms, army network, air and missile defense capabilities, and soldier lethality.
Shipping Bureau Releases AM Guidance Notes
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) has released its Guidance Notes on Additive Manufacturing, establishing a consistent approach to 3D printing of marine and offshore materials and equipment. It defines the processes, including directed-energy deposition, powder-bed fusion and binder jetting as well as a procedure for qualifying AM parts. The qualification process accom- modates flexible fabrication, enabling a single AM system to produce a wide range of parts, while maintaining repeat- able results and allowing for regular evaluation, according to ABS officials.
“In crafting this guidance, we recog- nized the importance of flexibility in additive manufacturing and outlined a process that allows for swift changes and alterations without affecting the ultimate quality,” says Demetri Stroubakis, ABS director of material and equipment.
Industry News 3D Sciaky to Provide Large AM Machine to Parts Bureau
Sciaky, Inc., a Chica- go, IL-based subsidiary of Phillips Service Indus- tries, Inc., will provide an electronic-beam AM (EBAM) system to FamAero, a privately owned metal-AM-parts bureau in Fenton, MI.
FamAero, an abbrevi-
ation for Future Additive
Manufacturing in Aero-
space, will leverage the technology to provide what company officials say are rapidly produced, affordable, large-scale 3D-printed parts and prototypes for customers in aerospace, defense, oil and gas, and sea-exploration industries. The custom EBAM system ordered by FamAero, reportedly the world’s largest production metal 3D print- er in the world, with a nominal part envelope of 146-in. wide by 62-in. deep and 62-in. high, enables the company to produce metal parts greater than 12 ft. long.
Advance Graphic Systems Rebrands as AGS Additive Manufacturing
Advanced Graphics Systems has rebranded to AGS Additive Manufactur- ing. The revamped brand includes a new logo that better reflects its mission to the AM space.
“Even with our rich history, we felt that we needed a fresh face for today’s product engineers who are highly attuned to additive manufacturing,” says Kevin Goold, AGS 3D printing manager.
The company, a third-generation busi- ness based in Fort Worth, TX, specializes in 3D printing of steel, aluminum, titani- um, copper, cobalt chrome and inconel for the aerospace, medical, military and robotics industries.
GKN Aerospace Reaps Benefits of 3D Printer
GKN Aerospace’s investment in a Stratasys F900 production 3D printer at its Filton, UK, manufacturing site is paying off in multiple ways for the global Tier-One supplier of airframe and engine structures. According to Tim Hope, GKN’s additive manufacturing center manager, the com-
pany decided to invest in the printer in an effort to cut lead times for production-line tools, and to create complex parts, impos- sible to make with traditional manufactur- ing methods.
“Since integrating the F900, we have dramatically reduced production-line downtime for certain teams and are enjoying a new-found freedom to design complex tools,” says Hope. “We now can cost-effectively produce tools for our operators within 3 hr.,” rather than sever- al weeks.
“This saves critical production time,” Hope continues, “and by printing in engineering-grade thermoplastics, we can produce 3D-printed tools with repeatable, predictable quality every time. All while matching the quality of a traditionally produced tool, and reduc- ing the costs and concessions compared to equivalent metallic tooling.”
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