Page 8 - 3D Metal Printing Summer 2019

3D INDUSTRY NEWS
Army Selects 3D Systems
to Develop World’s Largest Metal 3D Printer
3D Systems, Rock Hill, SC, has been awarded a $15-million contract by the Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to create the world's largest and fastest metal 3D printer. With a planned build envelope of 1000 by 1000 by 600 mm, and the ability to build minimum wall thicknesses of 100 μm and layer thicknesses of 30 μm, this represents a significant increase over current large- scale metal 3D printers with build envelopes of 500 by 500 by 500 mm. According to Army officials, the printer “will revolutionize key supply chains associated with long- range munitions, next-generation combat vehicles, helicopters, and air and missile defense capabilities.”
GE Additive Ships First Concept Laser
M Line Factory to U.S.
At the end of July, GE Additive shipped the first Concept Laser M Line Factory sys- tem from Germany to the United States, with its new home at GE Aviation’s Additive Technology Center in Cincinnati, OH.
The modular M Line Factory forms the core of GE Additive Concept Laser’s AM Factory of Tomorrow concept, which makes provisions for upstream and downstream stages of the production process, and can interface with conventional manufacturing methods. The expandable, automated and centrally controllable production system enables the economical series production of 3D printed metal parts, according to company officials.
Interestingly, a Boeing 747-8 Freighter transported the system—the plane features Genx-2B engines that soon will incorporate additive parts, manufactured on GE Addi- tive Concept Laser M2 machines in Auburn, AL.
Sintavia Enters Joint Venture to Serve Oil and Gas Industries
Sintavia, LLC, a Tier-One metal AM manufacturer for the aerospace and defense industries, has agreed to form a joint venture with Howco Group in support of AM development in the oil and gas industry. Howco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumito- mo Corp., distributes raw materials and manufactures turnkey components for down- hole, subsea and surface oil-and-gas equipment. The joint venture, expected to com- mence before year’s end, will be branded under the Howco Group name and co-located at Howco’s North American headquarters in Houston, TX.
The new joint venture will focus on materials common to the above-mentioned industries, including nickel alloys and stainless steel.
“Many of the proprietary AM processes that Sintavia has developed for the aero- space and defense industries apply equally to the oil and gas industry,” says Brian Neff, Sintavia’s chairman and CEO. “We are excited to work with Howco to deliver the eco- nomic and technical benefits of AM to our joint customers in the oil and gas industries.”
Beam-IT Adds SLM Solutions Machines as Part of Joint Venture
Beam-IT, Italy’s largest AM service bureau, and SLM Solutions, provider of metal 3D printing systems, have signed an agreement to deepen their long-term cooperation. Beam-IT expands its product portfolio with two new SLM machines, an SLM 280 selec- tive laser melting system with twin lasers and a quad-laser SLM 500, bringing Beam-IT’s roster of SLM Solutions machines to seven.
In a joint venture project, Beam-IT and SLM Solutions will work on parame- ters for the nickel-based alloys IN939 and IN718, focusing on certain material properties. Targeted parameter sets are necessary to achieve optimal results dur- ing the melting process. The knowl- edge-sharing between the two compa- nies during this process is expected to lead to shorter timeframes for parame- ter testing.
YSU Wins Trumpf Printer
A Trumpf TruPrint 1000 3D printer is coming to Youngstown State University (YSU) for a year following a YSU win at a national research contest focused on AM.
YSU, Drexel University in Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan were win- ners among 22 applicants at the compe- tition last fall that tasked universities, colleges and research institutes to out- line specific research projects using the TruPrint 1000. The Trumpf printer will be located in a collaboration space for metal AM at the Youngstown Business Incubator and America Makes in down- town Youngstown, OH.
The equipment will be used in two YSU AM courses and in a number of research projects.
“This is yet another prime indicator of YSU’s continuing emergence as a nation- al center for excellence in advanced and additive manufacturing,” says Eric Mac- Donald, YSU professor of electrical and computer engineering who holds the Friedman Chair for Manufacturing.
Xometry Gains Investor
Xometry, a Gaithersburg, MD-based on-demand manufacturing marketplace, has announced that Robert Bosch Ven- ture Capital (RBVC) will join the compa- ny's recently announced Series D round. RBVC joins Greenspring Associates, Dell Technologies Capital, BMW i Ventures, Foundry Group, GE Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, Maryland Venture Fund and Almaz as Xometry investors.
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