Page 26 - 3D Metal Printing Winter 2020

FEATURE
A Type 316L stainless-steel part takes shape via direct energy deposition additive manufacturing (AM). The nature of this multiple-axis method makes accurate AM visualization a must.
It could have happened to anyone, on any machine tool. The last line of the CNC machining program directed the head to return to its Z0 position. The prob- lem: Zero didn’t signify machine home as intended, but rather part zero, which in this case was the bottom of the workpiece. The simple oversight not only destroyed
a workpiece that took many hours to build, but damaged the machine tool as well.
“We’d just finished building this beau- tiful part and the head just plowed right into the middle of it,” says Austin Kron, managing director at BeAM, a developer and builder of metal additive manufac- turing (AM) machines, speaking from the
24 | 3D METAL PRINTING • WINTER 2020
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AM Benefits
From More
Powerful
Process
Simulation
The ability to visualize the complex AM process and detect collisions wards off costly part crashes and tool damage.
company’s U.S. operations in Cincinnati, OH. “Because we obviously want to avoid situations like this in the future, we imme- diately began looking for a software tool that would enable better visualization of the AM process. That’s what brought us to CGTech.”
Thanks to Vericut software from CGTech that can verify laser performance, detect collisions and handle the complexity of AM, BeAM now has a better handle on the build process, protecting users from part crashes and busted tools.
DED Ideal for Build and Repair
Based in Strasbourg, France, BeAM offers an alternative to powder bed fusion printers by combining a three-axis laser head with a tilt-rotary table to provide five-axis control of the AM process, referred to as directed energy deposition (DED).
“We can build part features measuring only 1⁄32-in. across while holding a toler-
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