Page 29 - 3DMP Summer 2022

heat-sensitive materials, and reportedly is an environmentally friendly process, particularly when compared to electro- plating.
“By leveraging our engineering expert- ise, cutting-edge resources and technolo- gies, as well as our partner network,” offer EWI officials, “the cold spray center will serve as an unbiased hub of innovation that is unmatched in the commercial world, driving and supporting adoption of this promising technology.”
Along with cold spray technology from Spee3d, the center will incorporate sys- tems from VRC Metal Systems and Cen- terline SST.
Spee3d: www.spee3d.com
Uniformity Labs Delivers Low-Porosity 316L and 17-4 PH Powders
Uniformity Labs announced availability of its ultra- low porosi- ty 316L and 17-4 PH stain- less-steel powders, a high-through- put feedstock that exhibits best-in-class material properties, according to company officials, who note that the powders and optimized print processes were previously used successfully to create various parts
in various industries.
These powders reportedly exhibit tap
densities to 85 percent and melt to pro- duce parts averaging densities greater than 99.95 percent. Uniformity parame- ters for 316L and 17-4 PH stainless steels at 50- and 60-μm layer thickness, respec- tively, reportedly achieve production build rates as much as three times faster for typical complex-geometry additive parts as compared to other high-speed comparable-layer-thickness builds con- ducted on the same printers with stan- dard powders and comparable finished- part density.
Uniformity expects to release 60- and 90-μm parameters soon that reportedly
demonstrate even greater production throughput with comparable mechanical properties.
Uniformity Labs: www.uniformitylabs.com
Report: Sustainability Challenges in EV Production
Between AMUG and RAPID + TCT, Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division released a comprehensive report, Recharging the Automotive Market, exploring sustainability and other chal- lenges for the electric-vehicle (EV ) indus- try, which relies heavily on advanced tech- nologies, including AM and intelligent manufacturing. The free report draws from original research conducted with Wards Intelligence and Informa Tech Automotive Group and surveyed 416 emo- bility design and manufacturing decision- makers across the global automotive sup- ply chain. The full results of the research are presented in the paper, as well as cur- rent efforts to define and eliminate road- blocks hindering the transition to EVs. Additionally, the report forecasts where the industry is headed in the next two decades. Also covered are smart manu- facturing strategies being employed to advance product development, a key area of focus for Hexagon, which estimates that its technology touches 95 percent of all cars produced every year.
Among its findings, the report states that only 38 percent of automakers are increasing their investment in more sus- tainable EV designs. At this point in the EV evolution, companies are hitting other obstacles in achieving greener EVs. Most carmakers (56 percent) identify a lack of alternatives to rare-earth metals for bat- teries as the major barrier. Half also are concerned about the lack of recyclable battery materials, closely followed by the lack of recycling programs and infrastruc- ture (47 percent).
“The research reflects a welcome recog- nition by the auto industry that sustain- ability involves more than merely reducing road emissions, revealing an understand- ing of the whole-lifecycle manufacturing and material impact of vehicles,” states
AMUG and RAPID + TCT 3D Ignazio Dentici, vice president-global
emobility industry for Hexagon’s Manu- facturing Intelligence division, “To deliver on the promise of a net-zero automotive industry while balancing consumer demands, intelligent data-driven manu- facturing processes must be embraced to support the development of sustainable solutions for every vehicle part, as well as creating recyclable cars. We can only reduce demand for energy and materials in the coming years by designing for a circular economy—from factory to con- sumer and beyond.”
Get the report at emobility.hexagon- mi.com/recharging-the-automotive- market.
Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence: www.hexagonmi.com
Mantle Unveils Collaborations Based on its TrueShape Printing Technology
Mantle announced collaborations based on 3D-printed tooling inserts pro- duced via the company’s TrueShape metal-AM technology. This includes reported work with Westminster Tool that demonstrated the value of conformal cooling, with Wepco Plastics that demon- strated better part finishes than achievable with aluminum tooling, and with Preci- sion Laser Technology and Craftsman Mfg. showing that Mantle’s H13 material machines and welds similarly to conven- tional H13 tool steel.
In each collaboration, Mantle tool com- ponents printed with the company’s H13 Flowable Metal Paste material showed equivalent performance to conventional
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