Page 6 - 3DMP Summer 2022

3D INDUSTRY NEWS
A First: U.S. Navy Deploys Xerox AM Machine at Sea
The U.S. Navy has operationally deployed a Xerox ElemX Additive metal- AM machine at sea, reportedly a first for a metal-additive manufacturing (AM) machine aboard a Navy ship. Following shipboard testing of metal-AM technolo- gy that began in 2014, the Navy has pur- sued it aggressively, with the USS Essex amphibious assault ship recently installing an ElemX liquid metal printer and now undergoing sea trials, according to Xerox Elem Additive Solutions officials.
The deployment builds on the rela- tionship between the U.S. Navy and Xerox Elem Additive that began with the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, receiving the first-ever installation of the ElemX in 2020.
The ElemX leverages Xerox’s liquid metal AM technology that uses standard aluminum wire. With no hazards associ- ated with metal powders, the ElemX requires no special facility modifications nor personal protective equipment. The printer requires minimal post-processing and, therefore, provides a faster time-to- part, according to company officials, who add that the ability to produce reli- able replacement parts on-demand
reduces the dependency on complex global supply chains for deployed forces.
To withstand various sea states and environmental challenges commonly encountered by warships, the ElemX was installed in an industrial shipping con- tainer to ruggedize it. Current sea trials are establishing operational guidelines and technical feasibility studies to deter- mine applications and use cases. A team on board USS Essex will design and print shipboard items and provide feedback to U.S. Navy officials.
ASTM Hosting
Advanced DfAM Course
at America Makes
ASTM has announced that it will hold the Advanced Design for Additive Manu- facturing (DfAM) Certificate Course Sep- tember 28-30 at the America Makes facility in Youngstown, OH.
Instructed by Olaf Diegel and Terry Wohlers of Wohlers Associates, the three-day course provides foundational information, special methods and approaches to design, and hands-on practice. Topics covered: consolidation of many parts into one, topology opti- mization and lattice/mesh structures. The course, via presentations and hands-on
exercises, includes considerations for metal, polymer and composite materials; the creation of custom parts; and meth- ods for reducing the need for time-con- suming and expensive support material.
For details, visit wohlersassociates.com/ events/dfam2022.
Morf3D, Siemens Advanta Form Technology Partnership for Morf3D ADMC
Morf3D, Inc., a metal-AM subsidiary of Nikon Corp., has announced a part- nership with Siemens Advanta, where digital planning for Morf3D’s Applied Digital Manufacturing Center (ADMC) in Long Beach, CA, will evolve into ongo- ing technology-development partnering.
Siemens Advanta, the IoT consultancy and solutions-integration arm of Siemens, will leverage design and simu- lation software from Siemens Digital Industries to develop a scale-up plan and bottleneck analysis, as well as explore novel manufacturing and logistic concepts for the ADMC.
Nearing completion, the 90,000-sq.- ft. ADMC will harness applied research, advanced engineering and application development, serial production, and, most significantly, new industry partner- ships to drive the industrialization of dig- ital manufacturing in high-growth mar- kets. Siemens Advanta also will validate material flow and space demand for the ADMC based on a digital twin of pro- duction. From initial efforts, Siemens Advanta’s work at the new ADMC will transition into additional ongoing soft- ware innovations and onsite personnel support.
4 | 3D METAL PRINTING • SUMMER 2022
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