Page 28 - 3D Metal Printing Winter 2019

3D formnext 2018
of the printing process via AM Process Simula- tion helps alle- viate many of these problems. The product uses a digital twin to simulate the build process prior to printing, anticipating dis- tortion within
the printing process and automatically generating the corrected geometry to compensate for these distortions.
At formnext, Siemens presented its entire portfolio for indus- trializing AM, tailored to specific industries. The company report- edly offers a seamless development process chain for all common 3D printing processes and printing systems, from design to cre- ation of the exposure paths on an associative database. The new, integrated process simulation for powder-based laser application complements the process chain. The management of the entire process data and control of the print jobs in production rounds off the portfolio. And, for printing-system manufacturers, Siemens offers a range of products from control software to automation and drive components.
Siemens: new.siemens.com
Volume-Production Printers Set for Shipment
GE Additive announced at form- next that its first Concept Laser M Line Factory systems will be delivered to customers in Q2 2019. Since GE Additive’s acquisition of Concept Laser in December 2016, company officials say that the M Line Factory’s design architecture, system and software have undergone extensive review and redesign. Four 400- or 1000-W lasers provide power to build in a 500 by 500 by 400-mm envelope (development work is focusing on increasing the 400-mm Z-axis range).
Existing standalone machines
barely allow for economical series
production, according to company offi-
cials, but the M Line Factory modular machine architecture offers automation and reliability that drive economical, scalable series production on an industrial scale.
Following detailed testing, GE Additive incorporated a num-
ber of improvements as the systems are readied for delivery. These include improved in-machine architecture and automa- tion; enhanced serviceability, scalable, modular system design and ease of service; increased build volume; modularized soft- ware architecture; and improved process control and thermal stability.
With the M Line Factory, part production, as well as setup and dismantling processes, take place in two independent machine units. The units can be physically operated separately from one another or combined, depending on customer prefer- ence. This enables production processes to run in parallel rather than sequentially, which reduces downtime and, in turn, increases the availability and output quantity of the process chain.
The GE Additive booth also featured the Concept Laser M2 cusing Multilaser, featuring two 400-W lasers and a build volume of 250 by 250 by 350 mm. Pictured is an aluminum jet-engine support bracket constructed on a Multilaser.
GE Additive: www.ge.com/additive
Reclaiming System for Dense Metal Powders
Elcan Industries highlighted
the Hi-Sifter powder-reclaim-
ing system, designed for dense
metal-AM powders. It employs
a high-energy approach to
make fine separations, and can
screen to 10 microns at higher
rates than comparable sys-
tems, according to company
officials. Constructed using
polished stainless steel, the sys-
tem is an ideal fit for aerospace
and biomedical applications.
The Hi-Sifter can remove over-
sized splatter while maximizing
potential yields and removing
bottlenecks related to reclaim-
ing, without the need for ultrasonic deblending systems. For users of powders such as titanium and aluminum, the system comes with explosion-proof and inert-gas capabilities.
Elcan Industries: www.elcanindustries.com
Tight-Tolerance Binder-Jet Metal Printer Geared Toward Higher Volumes
HP Inc. highlighted its metal-printing capabilities via the HP Metal Jet, designed to enable high-volume manufacturing of production-grade metal parts. Initially, Metal Jet printers will produce stainless-steel finished parts, delivering isotropic prop- erties upon post-print sintering that meet or exceed ASTM and MPIF Standards.
26 | 3D METAL PRINTING • WINTER 2019
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