Page 17 - 3D Metal Printing Winter 2019

Also coming: more staff, as the company expects employment numbers to reach 100 by year-end 2019.
Backing all of that up is an array of capabilities, beginning with engineering. The company’s vertically integrated inhouse design approach leverages engi- neers with the ability to design for additive manufacturing. On the material side, for proper powder assessment and control, KAM’s full lab tests for powder particle size, morphology, microstructure and chemical composition. Postprocessing capabilities include surface-finish enhancement, stress relieving, heat treat- ment and application of requested finish coatings. The company also emphasizes quality control of finished parts, using micro-CT scanning, via Pinnacle X-Ray Solutions, that provides analysis of void size and distribution, wall thickness, and porosity/density; part-to-CAD and part- to-part comparisons; and first-article inspection.
KAM employs all of this in its stated objective to provide advantages to cus- tomers, including speed to market, defect- free products, and innovative design and production solutions.
Team Built to Succeed Across Markets
Keselowski’s passion for manufacturing was instilled by his family, as his grand- father made drill bits for the military dur- ing World War II, and Brad grew up work- ing alongside his dad and uncle as they built their race cars in the family shop. Progressing through racing circuits and now at the pinnacle as a championship driver in NASCAR’s top series, Keselowski has spent years surrounded by, and learn- ing about, advanced machines, tools, engi- neering designs and other technological innovations.
Though incorporating his experiences and expertise into KAM’s operations, Keselowski otherwise leaves NASCAR at the door.
“KAM is not about Brad expanding his NASCAR race team,” explains Darin Thomas, the company’s senior materials engineer. “I was here at least two months
before I ever heard him mention his race career, and he doesn’t talk about it much. KAM is a completely separate endeavor for Brad, distinct from racing operations.”
Himself carrying more than a decade of 3D printing experience and armed with amaster’sdegreeinMaterialsSciencefrom AM educational pioneer North Carolina State University, Thomas fits well with KAM’s roster of experienced personnel. This includes Steve Fetch, formerly vice
president of global quality for 3D Systems. KAM officials see the key to success as combining such inhouse experience and expertise with its equipment providers— considered strategic partners—and train- ing staff to make the best use of KAM assets. A big positive in opening as an additive and subtractive all-in-one oper- ation, according to Thomas: the ability to identify and install the right equipment and processes from the very start.
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