Metal AM Summer 2020

Vol. 6 No.
2 SUMMER 2020 THE MAGAZINE FOR THE METAL ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY
METAL
AM
in this issue
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Publishing Director, News Editor

Paul Whittaker
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Deputy Editor
Emily-Jo Hopson-VandenBos
emily-jo@inovar-communications.com
Waving the flag for AM in a
Assistant Editor
Kim Hayes
kim@inovar-communications.com
year of digital transformation
Production Manager
Hugo Ribeiro
I have no words of wisdom when it comes to the global
hugo@inovar-communications.com economic outlook and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the
metal AM industry. The only thing that is certain is uncertainty.
Advertising On some mornings it looks like there is light at the end of the
Jon Craxford, Advertising Sales Director
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jon@inovar-communications.com What the crisis has done – in the short term at least – is
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Although all advertising material is expected seeds can be sown for the future exploration of AM.
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or endorsement of the quality or value of
such product or of the claims made by its we collectively expand and diversify our reach to deliver on
manufacturer. the potential of metal Additive Manufacturing. With this issue
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Vol. 6 No. 2 Summer 2020 Cover image
A bracelet from the ‘Embrace’ collection
This magazine is also available for free by Marie Boltenstern consisting of rows
download from www.metal-am.com of 4 mm gemstones woven into additively
manufactured protective geometric
© 2020 Inovar Communications Ltd
spheres (Photo www.loupiosity.com)
Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2020 3

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4 Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2020 © 2020 Inovar Communications Ltd Vol. 6 No. 2
109 122 135 140 167
Contents
107 Innovation and differentiation: 133 Freemelt AB:
Precious metal Additive Manufacturing in the Open source technology
jewellery sector to explore the potential of
Rich in creativity and rooted in a long artisanal
Electron Beam Powder Bed
manufacturing heritage, one would imagine that there Fusion
can be few sectors as perfectly suited to embrace A new wave of AM machine
the potential of metal Additive Manufacturing than manufacturers focused on
the jewellery industry. In reality, however, the sector Electron Beam Powder Bed
continues to hold back on the full-scale adoption of AM, Fusion (PBF-EB) is looking to
despite numerous successes. In this article, Michela capitalise on what is perceived
Ferraro-Cuda considers progress to date in the adoption as a process with significant
of precious metal AM in the jewellery industry, and untapped market potential.
showcases a number of leading designers who have One of the most prominent of
leveraged the technology’s potential for innovation and these newcomers is Freemelt
differentiation. >>> AB, a developer of open source
machines designed to help
broaden the PBF-EB material
119 Unrealised potential: The story and status of portfolio and application areas.
Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion As Metal AM magazine’s Emily-Jo
Hopson-VandenBos reports,
In January, Boeing’s new 777X aircraft made its maiden
co-founders Ulric Ljungblad and
flight, powered by two GE9X engines from GE Aviation.
Ulf Ackelid have no doubt as to the
Whilst this was a major moment for both companies, it
opportunities ahead. >>>
was also a huge milestone for Electron Beam Powder
Bed Fusion (PBF-EB), and the culmination of decades of
process and material development work at the driving
force behind the technology, Arcam AB. Whilst the many
turbine blades used in the GE9X engine are the highlight
of the first chapter in the story of PBF-EB, there is also
a lingering sense of unrealised potential. Here, Joseph
Kowen considers the story to date and highlights a new
generation of firms working to increase the technology’s
adoption. >>>
Vol. 6 No. 2 © 2020 Inovar Communications Ltd Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2020 5
AM METAL POWDER
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TEKNA.COM through a RF Plasma System
139 In pursuit of perfection: 161 Link3D’s ‘Additive Manu-
A case study on how Bugatti and APWORKS facturing Maturity Model’:
leverage the full potential of AM Developing an agile and
It is far too easy to overuse superlatives when speaking
resilient supply chain
about hypercars or Additive Manufacturing. When the As the metal Additive Manufac-
discussion combines both – Bugatti’s new driver-focused turing industry matures at a rapid
Chiron Pur Sport and a high-performance AM component rate, organisations are now faced
that truly pushes today’s processes to their limits – with the challenge of scaling their
the result is worthy of a closer look. In the following AM operations. Based on a study
in-depth case study, Bugatti and APWORKS explain the of 253 companies in a number of
requirements, development and production of the Chiron sectors, US-based AM software
Pur Sport’s exhaust finisher and share insight into some specialist Link3D has developed
of its hidden details, from lattice structures to nature- an ‘Additive Manufacturing Matu-
inspired honeycomb reinforcements. >>> rity Model’. This simple model can
be used as a tool to understand
an organisation’s AM maturity
147 Facing obstacles to profitability in metal AM: whilst also helping them navigate
An Operational Excellence perspective the steps to developing an agile
and resilient AM supply chain.
Just as Design for AM demands an entirely new mindset Shane Fox, CEO and co-founder of
to be truly effective, understanding efficient AM machine Link3D, explains. >>>
utilisation in order to drive profitability also requires
a major shift from conventional practices. Magnitude
Innovations Inc’s Matt Tusz, Founder and CEO, and
167 Design for Additive
Caterina Pampolari, Business Development Manager,
explore operational and financial losses in metal Additive
Manufacturing (DfAM):
Manufacturing. They offer advice on how to overcome Binder Jetting Technology
these growth barriers through production efficiency and demystified
profitable pricing strategies, with a focus on Operational Able to achieve quicker build
Excellence and Continuous Improvement. >>> speeds and lower cost per part
than its rival technologies, metal
Binder Jetting (BJT) has gener-
155 Mass-production using PBF-LB: How laser ated increasing interest and rapid
beam measurements can help pave the way industry investment over the past
two years. But while many engi-
Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) is a tech-
neers are now becoming familiar
nology rich in process parameters and exacting material
with the principles of design for
specifications, all developed with the aim of delivery
Powder Bed Fusion AM, design for
quality and repeatability as the industry moves towards
BJT is less widely understood. In
volume production. However, without control of a laser’s
this article, Olaf Diegel and Terry
focal spot, neither the material specification nor the
Wohlers attempt to demystify
handling of the material in the build chamber can guar-
some of the key factors that must
antee the hoped for results. As Ophir Spiricon Europe’s
be considered when designing
Christian Dini explains, when it comes to lasers, there is
parts for BJT. >>>
no control without the gathering of reliable data. >>>
9 Industry news
172 Events guide
Regular features... 174 Advertisers’ index
Industry news
BMW Group
opens its new €15
million Additive
Manufacturing
campus
The BMW Group has officially opened
its new Additive Manufacturing
Campus in Munich, Germany. The
new centre, which began development BMW’s Additive Manufacturing campus employs up to eighty associates and
in April 2018, is said to bring together operates about fifty industrial AM machines (Courtesy The BMW Group)
the production of metal and plastic
prototype and series parts under one
roof, as well as research into new AM implement new automation concepts “In addition, we develop and
technologies, and associate training in the process chain,” added Daniel design components that are faster to
for the global rollout of toolless Schäfer, Senior Vice President for produce than by conventional means,
production. Production Integration and Pilot offer flexibility in terms of their form,
The campus is the result of an Plant at the BMW Group. “This will and are also more functional,” Ertel
investment of €15 million and is allow us to streamline component continued. “We are working hard to
expected to allow the BMW Group manufacturing for series production mature Additive Manufacturing fully
to develop its position as technology and speed up development.” and benefit from it as far as possible
leader in the utilisation of Additive “At the same time, we are throughout the product life-cycle,
Manufacturing in the automotive collaborating with vehicle develop- from the first vehicle concept through
industry. In 2019, BMW produced ment, component production, to production, aftersales and its use
about 300,000 parts by AM. The new purchasing and the supplier in classic vehicles.”
AM Campus currently employs up to network,” he continued, “as well as Access to the latest technologies
eighty associates and operates about various other areas of the company is reportedly gained through long-
fifty industrial AM machines that work to systematically integrate the standing partnerships with leading
with metals and plastics. technology and utilise it effectively.” manufacturers and universities, and
Speaking at the opening ceremony, by scouting for industry newcomers.
Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board Cooperating with the AM industry to In 2017, the BMW Group became
Member for Production, stated, drive development involved with Desktop Metal’s
“Additive Manufacturing is already an The advancement of AM at BMW sinter-based metal AM technologies,
integral part of our worldwide produc- has been the result of many years of and continues to collaborate closely
tion system today, and established in-house expertise and cooperations with the company.
in our digitalisation strategy. In the to advance the technology. Jens In the same year, BMW I Ventures
future, new technologies of this Ertel, Director of the Additive – the group’s venture capital divi-
kind will shorten production times Manufacturing Campus, explained, sion – invested in the US startup
even further and allow us to benefit “Over the last thirty years or so, the Xometry, a platform for on-demand
even more fully from the potential of BMW Group has developed compre- manufacturing, including advanced
toolless manufacturing.” hensive skills, which we’ll continue technologies such as AM.
“Our goal is to industrialise 3D to enhance on our new campus, Its latest investment was in the
printing methods more and more which has the latest machines and German start-up ELISE, which allows
for automotive production, and to technologies.” engineers to produce ‘component
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DNA’ containing all the technical the Additive Manufacturing Campus, Applications in series production
requirements for the part, from load a production line is being set up The BMW Group first began its Addi-
requirements and manufacturing that replicates the entire process tive Manufacturing of prototype parts
restrictions to costs and potential chain, from the preparation of digital in 1991, for concept vehicles. By 2010,
optimisation parameters. ELISE then production through to manufacture both metal and plastic AM processes
uses this data, along with established and reworking of components. were being rolled out across the
development tools, to automatically The IDAM team is now preparing group, initially in smaller series, to
generate optimised components. it for the specific requirements of produce items such as the AM water
series, individual and spare-part pump wheel in DTM race cars.
Additive Manufacturing in research production. According to the group, Further series production applica-
and pre-development at BMW Group production targets confirm the status tions followed from 2012 onward, with
The pre-development unit of the of this collaborative undertaking a range of components for the Rolls-
Additive Manufacturing Campus as a lighthouse project: output is Royce Phantom, BMW i8 Roadster
optimises new technologies and expected to total at least 50,000 (2017) and MINI John Cooper Works
materials for comprehensive use series components a year, with over GP (2020), which contains four AM
across the company. The main focus 10,000 individual and spare parts, all components as standard.
is on automating process chains produced to a very high quality. www.bmwgroup.com
that have previously required large
amounts of manual work, to make AM
more economical and viable for use
on an industrial scale over the longer
term.
For the development of AM
processes for use on an industrial
scale, research projects are especially
important. BMW is involved in
several of these projects, such as the
Industrialisation and Digitisation of
Additive Manufacturing for Automotive
Series Production (IDAM) project,
supported by the German Ministry of
Education and Research.
With IDAM, the BMW Group and
its twelve project partners hope to
pave the way for the integration of AM
into series production environments BMW’s Additive Manufacturing campus employs up to eighty associates and
within the automotive industry. At operates about fifty industrial AM machines (Courtesy The BMW Group)
VDM Metals acquired by stainless steel line and establishes a strategy that
we believe will be successful, in
manufacturing group Acerinox addition to strengthening the group’s
competitiveness and robustness.
Acerinox, S.A. a multi-national are said to complement each Furthermore, the cash generation
stainless steel manufacturing other, and the transaction will and decrease in debt recognised last
group based in Madrid, Spain, has have clear manufacturing, sales year leaves us in an optimal situation
acquired VDM Metals GmbH, Werdohl, and distribution benefits for both for taking on this challenge,” stated
Germany, in transaction valued at companies. The new group company Bernardo Velázquez, CEO of Acerinox.
€532 million. VDM Metals is a global is expected to be a global leader in VDM has seven production plants
supplier of metals which, among its the development and manufacture in Germany and the USA and employs
products, offers a range of metal of special nickel alloys, as well as almost 2,000. In 2018/19, VDM
powders for Additive Manufacturing. high-performance stainless steels, achieved sales of €852 million and
The acquisition has received approval as well as an R&D and innovation EBITDA of €97 million. Its incorpora-
from the European, US and Taiwanese benchmark in the industry. tion into Acerinox is expected to
competition authorities. “In the circumstances we are increase its net sales and billings by
The activities performed and currently living, this acquisition more than 20%.
products manufactured by Acerinox makes more sense than ever, since it www.vdm-metals.com
and VDM in their respective fields diversifies our risk, adds a business www.acerinox.com
Industry News | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
Metalpine opens new production site According to the company, the
for highly spherical metal powders total capacity of the new production
site will gradually be increased to
400 tons per year, and using the
Metalpine GmbH, Graz, Austria, a An opening ceremony for the plant in-house developed process, metal
manufacturer of metal powder and was attended by numerous repre- powders can reportedly be produced
part of the htm Group (hightech sentatives from politics, science and in a unique quality from a very wide
metal investment GmbH), has business, including Dir. Karl-Heinz range of metals and metal alloys
opened a new production site based Dernoscheg from WKO Steiermark; (including copper, steel, nickel-base
at its Graz headquarters, which will Dr Robert Brugger from ICS Styria; alloys, titanium, molybdenum,
primarily produce highly spherical Dr Gerald Sitte from Spaceone; and tungsten, etc).
metal powders for use in Additive Klaus Fronius and Brigitte Strauß Metalpine states that all its mate-
Manufacturing. from Fronius. rials are produced using a flexible,
environmentally friendly inert gas
process under cleanroom conditions,
and are aimed at highly demanding
applications such as Laser Beam
Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB), metal
sintering, powder build-up welding
or surface coatings.
Additionally, the new production
site is believed to have a good
network for industrial and academic
research and development in the
field of Additive Manufacturing, with
research in the areas of production
processes, materials and additives
fields of application being carried
out by the Montanuniversität
Leoben and the Graz University of
Metalpine has opened a new production site which will produce metal powder Technology.
for use in Additive Manufacturing (Courtesy Metalpine GmbH) www.metalpine.at
H.C. Starck Tungsten Powders sold “We can now fully focus on global
growth as a technology and quality
to Masan Resources leader in tungsten powder. Direct
access to primary raw materials
H.C. Starck Tungsten Powders, Goslar, recycling process with which it as a complement to our recycling
Germany, a leading global provider of extracts tungsten in what it states as expertise means even more flexibility
customer-specific tungsten powder, the highest quality from secondary and security for our customers all
and part of H.C. Starck Group GmbH, raw materials. The business has over the world.”
has been acquired by Vietnamese- approximately 540 employees across Craig Bradshaw, CEO of Masan
based Masan Resources. A subsidiary three production sites in Germany, Resources commented, “The compe-
of Masan Group, Masan Resources is a Canada and China, as well as sales tencies of both companies in the field
supplier of critical minerals including offices in the USA and Japan. of raw materials on the one hand and
tungsten, fluorspar and bismuth. Masan Resources is reported the highly specialised processing on
According to the H.C. Starck Group, to have one of the world’s largest the other complement each other
all required approvals by government tungsten deposits and associated perfectly. For us, this transaction is
authorities have been received, refining facilities outside of China. the next strategic step in executing
allowing completion of the transac- “The entry of a strategic owner on on our vision to become a leading
tion. time for the hundredth anniversary global vertically integrated high-tech
H.C. Starck Tungsten Powders we are celebrating this year marks industrial materials platform.”
develops and produces high- the beginning of a new era for our www.hcstarck.com
performance powders made from company,” stated Dr Hady Seyeda, https://masangroup.com
the refractory metal tungsten and CEO of H.C. Starck Tungsten
its compounds. It has a patented Powders.
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Kymera closes transaction Severstal eyes Binder Jetting

to acquire Reading Alloys with acquisition of carbonyl
business from Ametek iron powder producer Sintez
Kymera International, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, has PAO Severstal, a leading steel and steel-related mining
closed its transaction with with Ametek, Inc., Berwyn, company headquartered in Moscow, Russia, has
Pennsylvania, USA, and has now acquired 100% of the acquired 100% of the shares of Sintez-CIP Ltd and Sintez
shares of the Reading Alloys business. PP Ltd, the owners of the only producer and supplier
Founded in 1953, and acquired by Ametek in 2008, of carbonyl iron powders in Russia and the CIS region.
Reading Alloys designs, develops and produces master Sintez-CIP will become part of Severstal’s metalware
alloys, thermal barrier coatings and titanium powders. manufacture division, under the operational manage-
The business is a supplier for producers of high-quality ment of Sergey Kovryakov, CEO of Severstal-metiz.
titanium and superalloy mill products that are used in Sintez-CIP produces a wide range of unique carbonyl
aerospace and aircraft applications. iron powders for firms around the world. Carbonyl iron
“Reading Alloys is an outstanding company with powder is used in Metal Injection Moulding and other
highly skilled people and an excellent product and end Powder Metallurgy-based technologies. It is also widely
market portfolio that fits in perfectly with our existing used in electronics, primarily in the automotive industry
business,” stated Barton White, CEO of Kymera. “For (electronics in cars, electric vehicles), as well as in the
Kymera, we believe this is a transformative acquisition manufacture of household appliances, mobile phones,
that will give our combined company strong technical computers, and televisions.
and commercial resources to help fuel our growth in the Sintez-CIP is reported to be the second-largest
aerospace, defence, medical and industrial markets.” producer of these products globally, holding approxi-
www.kymerainternational.com mately 10% of the market share. The company produced
www.readingalloys.com more than 1,500 tons of finished goods last year, and
exported more than 95% of its sales.
Summer Quarter Page draft 4.pdf 1 12/06/2020 15:16
Alexander Shevelev, CEO of Severstal, commented on
the acquisition, “This investment reflects our focus on
two of Severstal’s strategic priorities – ‘New Opportuni-
ties’ and ‘Excellent Customer Experience’. Through
the implementation of breakthrough technologies, we
are bringing unique solutions to the market in order to
satisfy the needs of modern customers, as well as, in
some cases, anticipating their future demands.”
“Integrating Sintez-CIP into Severstal will add a new
The SILO2 trajectory of development for the company into promising
O2 Analyzer
markets such as electronics, where we expect sustained
growth through key developments,” he continued.
C
from Ntron “Examples include the electrification of transport, the
development of telecommunications infrastructure,
M
mobile electronics, and finally ‘Binder Jetting’, which is

Y
considered to be an important technological breakthrough

CM
due to its high processing speed and low costs.”
• SIL2 rated
MY Andrey Laptev, Director of Business Development
CY
and Corporate Venture Projects at Severstal, added,
• 1ppm to 25% O2
“Sintez-CIP has unique competencies that have enabled
CMY
it to occupy 10% of the fast-growing global carbonyl iron
• Easy Calibration
K
market, and continually increase its presence in the most
promising segments of the sector.”
“We are aiming for consistent growth in this high-
margin market, using the broad competencies and market
• Visit www.ntron.com/products/SILO2/ opportunities Severstal has cultivated,” he explained.
• Call Ntron +353 (0)46 907 1333 “Our overarching goal is to create a world-class Powder
Metallurgy centre of excellence within the business.
• Email sales@ntron.com
Sintez-CIP allows us to expand our market influence, and
also creates a springboard for us to enter international
A PST Company www.ntron.com markets.”
www.severstal.com | https://en.sintez-cip.ru
AM part maker 3DEO reports 600% with robotics and automation and its
most noteworthy employee increase
revenue growth in 2019 was in the R&D department. With
over twenty-five engineers, 3DEO
3DEO, Inc., a metal Additive as our pace of adoption across all states it is continuously improving
Manufacturing technology company industries is accelerating. More than core processes and technology up
based in Los Angeles, California, a metal 3D printing company, 3DEO and down the production line.
USA, has announced a 600% growth is a solutions provider helping our Sand added, “What’s more, almost
in revenues for 2019 over 2018. customers tackle their most chal- every customer we are working
The company also reported a 394% lenging manufacturing problems.” with is using metal 3D printing in
increase in the number of additively The company started as an production for the first time. We are
manufactured parts shipped in 2019, Additive Manufacturing business with in the trenches with our customers,
with approximately 25% of parts being its patented metal AM technology, and our growth curve is a testament
for aerospace, 35% for medical and Intelligent Layering®, at its core. to the demand for these solutions.
40% for defence applications. However, in order to compete in high- In the end, our mission is to do
The number of employees at 3DEO volume traditional manufacturing, for manufacturing what Amazon’s
was also reported to have increased to the company stated it evolved into a AWS did for the internet by offering
sixty, up 172% compared to the twenty- vertically integrated, next generation low-cost access to flexible, scalable,
two employees in 2018. AM machines factory. This new business model and world-class manufacturing
used at 3DEO for part production allows manufacturers to gain the cost infrastructure.”
were said to have increased by 566%. savings, design freedom, and manu- Matt Petros, 3DEO’s CEO,
3DEO’s AM machines are built with facturing flexibility needed to compete commented, “We’re doing things
proprietary technology, specialised for – without having to incur millions of in manufacturing that previously
serial production and manufactured in dollars for a metal AM machine and couldn’t be done. And we’re doing
the USA. the supporting infrastructure. it by leveraging several enabling
“We are very proud of the growth Amidst a downcycle in manu- technologies that are converging right
that was accomplished over the last facturing jobs in America, 3DEO now in manufacturing – in a way that
year,” stated Matt Sand, President reports that its new solution-focused finally allows metal 3D printing to
of 3DEO. “It is clear that 2020 will be business model is creating new jobs. shift the serial production paradigm.”
another record-setting year for 3DEO High-tech production workers work www.3deo.co
voestalpine reports impact of ‘economic consistently pursue current programs

that are aimed at cutting costs and
meltdown’ as revenue falls boosting efficiency,” stated Herbert
Eibensteiner, Chairman of the
Austria’s voestalpine Group has which accounts for about two-thirds of Management Board of voestalpine AG.
reported that both revenue and the group’s revenue, particularly hard. The COVID-19 pandemic and
earnings in its business year 2019/20 The automotive segment, which is its economic consequences forced
have been impacted by ‘economic important to the voestalpine Group, voestalpine to curtail production
meltdown’, non-recurring effects and slumped worldwide. Add to that and temporarily shut down plants in
the consequences of the COVID-19 globally rising iron ore prices in the almost all of its areas; this included
pandemic. The group reported a face of simultaneously falling steel a small blast furnace in Linz, Austria,
year-over-year decline in revenue prices, and an upward trend did not that has been shut down until further
of 6.2%, from €13.6 billion to €12.7 make itself felt until the start of the notice. In May 2020, about 10,400
billion, with profit from operations business year’s fourth quarter, stated employees in Austria and about 3,000
(EBIT) falling to €-89 million (previous the company, only to be brought to a employees in Germany were regis-
year: €779 million) due to impairment sudden standstill by the outbreak of tered for short time work, and another
losses. Profit before tax dropped from the COVID-19 pandemic. 2,400 employees internationally for
€646 million to €-230 million, and “The decline in the voestalpine similar schemes.
profit after tax from €459 million to Group’s revenue for the business “Given the continued volatility
€-216 million. year 2019/20 reflects the economic of the economic environment, we
The business year 2019/20 was downturn on the whole throughout the expect the voestalpine Group to
said to be defined by a massive damp- business year. But negative non- generate EBITDA of between EUR
ening of sentiment in the economic recurring effects also had an impact 600 million and EUR one billion in the
environment, owing to worldwide on the results. Given the intensifying business year 2020/21,” concluded
trade conflicts. These developments deterioration in the economic environ- Eibensteiner.
hit Europe’s export-driven industry, ment on account of COVID-19, we will www.voestalpine.com
TO INDUSTRIALIZE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

THE RIGHT PARTNER IS EVERYTHING
Our journey with additive manufacturing started over 150 years ago – we just didn’t know it then. But the
material and process knowledge we’ve been gathering since, is crucial to control the entire AM value chain.
Sandvik adds true value to your business through 158 years of material expertise, world leading R&D, and the
widest range of metal powders on the market – now including Osprey® titanium, nickel-based superalloys,
copper and ultra-high hardness maraging steel. Truth is, there are many dreamers, but few masters of
additive manufacturing. We are metallurgists, world leading powder producers, post processing- and metal
cutting experts with all relevant printing technologies for metals in-house.
And for your every challenge – the right partner is everything.
MEET OUR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING AND POWDER EXPERTS AT:

TCT Asia – Booth E6-M16 | July 8-10 | Shanghai, China
PM China – Booth A092 | August 12-14 | Shanghai, China
Formnext – Booth 11.0-B19 | November 10-13 | Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Vol. 6 No. 2 © 2020 Inovar Communications Ltd

www.additive.sandvik Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2020 17
YOUR AEROSPACE
& DEFENSE
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Falcontech to install fifty Farsoon metal with a higher degree of flexibility in

parameter settings and material
AM systems at Super AM Factory development, which has contributed
to the development of a total of
Aerospace manufacturing service including an FS421M, FS301M, twenty material processing param-
provider Falcontech co., LTD., Wuxi FS271M, and the customised eters for aerospace applications,
City, Jiangsu, China, has announced large-format metal system, which including multiple types and grades
plans for a Super AM Factory which has a build envelope of up to 620 x of titanium alloys, aluminium alloys
will see the installation of fifty metal 620 x 1100 mm. This system is used and nickel-based superalloys. This
Additive Manufacturing machines at Falcontech for the production has also enabled the establish-
from Farsoon Technologies, of large aerospace applications; ment of a processing database
Changsha, Hunan, China. Falcontech the company has succeeded in for aerospace materials for future
reportedly plans to enhance its supporting the development and development and manufacturing
capacity for series production, and series production of spacecraft quality control.
will begin adding further metal AM components in a number of key “We see an exceptional perfor-
machines, bringing its total to twenty aerospace projects. mance and stability in the Farsoon
Farsoon machines by the end of this With the joint effort between FS421M metal system via multiple
year. Farsoon’s metal AM team and series production jobs since the
Founded in 2012, Falcontech Falcontech, significant technical installation,” stated Yu Hai, General
has three business units: Metal progress has reportedly been made Manager of the Metal AM Solution
AM Powder, Metal AM Solution in areas including productivity Unit at Falcontech, “We are thrilled
and Advanced Manufacturing. The optimisation, the achievement of thin by the high-quality parts manu-
AS9100-certified company states that wall structures as small as 0.5 mm, factured taking advantage of the
it is able to offer a comprehensive improved dimensional-accuracy benefits from Farsoon AM. With the
portfolio of industrial metal AM ± 0.5 mm/800 mm, improved build increasing demand of manufacturing
solutions, from materials to surface roughness of Ra 6.3 µm, and orders, Falcontech will further
manufacturing, post-processing, metallurgical quality control of parts expand our production capacity and
application and servicing. produced on Farsoon machines. improve turnaround time for delivery
The company has over seven Thanks to Farsoon’s ‘Open for with more Farsoon metal systems.”
years’ experience operating Laser Industry’ philosophy, Falcontech http://en.farsoon.com
Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) reports that it is able to operate www.falcontech.com.cn
machines from various international
brands, and has reportedly developed
a deep in-house expertise in
industrial metal AM production. The
company’s Super AM Factory initiative
aims to expand its capacity and focus
on real world production.
Falcontech entered into a long-
term partnership with Farsoon by
significantly investing in its metal
AM systems in 2019. In recognition
of this collaboration, Falcontech and
Farsoon have jointly worked on a
customised large-format metal AM
system for aerospace, as well as
on the development of Falcontech’s
metal AM powders.
Based on this collaboration,
Falcontech has scaled up its
manufacturing capacity by installing Falcontech will install fifty Farsoon metal AM machines in its production facility
multiple Farsoon metal systems (Courtesy Falcontech)
Submitting news..
Submitting news to Metal AM is free of charge. For more information contact Paul Whittaker:
Altair releases its most significant

software update to date
Altair, Troy, Michigan, USA, has complex problems, and explore
announced what it states is the most and discover on their own terms,”
significant software update released explained James Scapa, chairman,
in the company’s history. All of its founder and Chief Executive Officer
software products have been updated of Altair. “This software update
Complex FE models can be managed
with advancements in user experi- release is the largest collection of our
more easily in the new Altair Hyper-
ence and a large number of new applications for design, simulation
Works user interface (Courtesy Altair)
features, including intuitive workflows and data analytics.”
said to enable users to streamline Enhancements and new capa-
development and bring products to bilities added in the update include a models, and improved geometry
market faster. The software update new interface for Altair HyperWorks generation from optimisation.
release expands on the number of for high-fidelity computer-aided The addition of advanced morphing
solutions available for designers, engineering (CAE) modelling and of any geometry type to Inspire
engineers, data analysts, IT and HPC visualisation, increasing productivity, Studio is another feature, as is a
professionals, facility managers and as well as a new subsystem entity for major update to Altair Panopticon, a
more, and reportedly enables access modular model configuration. Fatigue platform for user-driven monitoring of
to more physics, data analytics and optimisation has also been added real-time data, which adds cloud-
machine learning. to Altair SimLab and the integration based deployment, enabling users
“Our teams are always driven to of Altair SimSolid in Altair Inspire, to build, modify and share custom-
develop and provide access to a range includes support and connector reac- designed functions and content easily
of different technologies that enable tion forces, instantaneous reaction via standard web browsers.
our customers to break through time modelling of large PolyNURBS www.altair.com
GPCMA – MODIFIED
ATMOSPHERE
CHAMBER FURNACE
DEBINDING, PYROLYSIS & STRESS
RELIEVING 3D PRINTED ADDITIVE
MANUFACTURED PARTS
www.carbolite-gero.com
Carbolite-Gero-Advert-GB-175x120.indd 1 04.06.2020 08:57:19

Aurora Labs for start-ups, SMEs, ASX-listed public

companies and government agencies
the optimal skillset at a board and
Executive level for the next exciting
announces board both in Australia and internationally. phase of the company’s evolution.”
and executive team His stockbroking and investment
banking experience reportedly spans
“As the company’s founder, David
has been an integral part of Aurora’s
changes over thirty years across capital development since its inception
markets, corporate finance and public and his knowledge of 3D printing
The board of Aurora Labs, headquar- company businesses. technology and the broader Aurora
tered in Bibra Lake, Australia, has Outgoing board chairman business is invaluable,” he added.
announced that David Budge, the Kristensen commented, “Aurora has “This is why I’m delighted that David
company’s current Managing Director received an increasing level of interest will continue at the company as CTO,
and CEO, will assume the new role from several major international busi- which will enable him to focus on his
of Chief Technical Officer, with Peter nesses for its 3D printing technology, primary expertise of cutting-edge
Snowsill, currently Chief Operations so it’s imperative we are able to research into 3D metal printing.”
Officer, acting as interim CEO pending capitalise on this by ensuring we have www.auroralabs3d.com
a new CEO’s appointment.
To ensure the appropriate board
makeup for a company at Aurora’s
size and development stage, Paul
Kristensen, current board chairman,
is to retire from the board. David
Budge and Nathan Henry, the current INCREASE
PROFITS...
Executive Directors, will also retire
from their board positions to ensure
the Aurora Board is majority non-
executive in makeup, said to be in-line
with best practice for ASX-listed With on-site
companies. Two new non-executives hydrogen
have joined the board, Grant Mooney generation
joins as non-executive chairman,
and Ashley Zimpel joins as a Non- A Nel Hydrogen
Executive Director. electrolyser will help
Mooney is said to have significant save money, streamline
experience in ASX-listed development operations and increase
companies across all stages and is your bottom line.
the principal of Perth-based corpo-
rate advisory firm Mooney & Partners, • Alkaline and Proton® PEM technologies
which specialises in corporate • Safe, clean and cost effective
compliance administration to public • Consistent purity and pressure
companies. He has gained extensive • Eliminate hydrogen delivery and storage
experience in the areas of corporate • Scale to match any application
and project management since
commencing Mooney & Partners in
1999, and his experience extends to
advice on capital raisings, mergers
and acquisitions and corporate
governance. Mooney is chairman,
director and company secretary of a
number of ASX-listed companies in
the resources and technology sectors.
Zimpel is described as a business
developer, founder, entrepreneur, Visit us on-line or call for a consult
corporate financier, adviser and with one of our sales engineers today!
senior banker/investment banker, +1.203.949.8697
with broad financial markets experi- www.nelhydrogen.com
ence. He is reported to have a strong
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Markforged publishes Rosswag qualifies Ni-base

Trends Report and Additive superalloy Waspaloy for
Applications Library for AM Additive Manufacturing
Markforged, Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, has Rosswag GmbH, Pfinztal, Germany, has qualified the
released a new Trends Report and Additive Applications nickel-base superalloy Waspaloy for Laser Beam Powder
Library said to show how modern manufacturers are using Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing. Waspaloy
Additive Manufacturing to drive supply chain optimisation is a registered trademark of United Technologies Corp
and value in their organisations. that refers to an age-hardening austenitic nickel-base
The company explains that the two new resources superalloy.
examine more than 100 applications within the aerospace The alloy has a tensile strength of 1400 MPa,
and defence, automotive, education, electronics, medical exceeding that of some of the nickel-base alloys most
and manufacturing industries, and applications across frequently used in the AM process, such as Inconel 718.
prototyping, tools and fixtures, end-use parts and mainte- Due to its good strength properties at temperatures up
nance parts. to approx 980ºC, it is typically used in high-temperature
applications, particularly in gas turbines.
Trends Report: The additive movement has arrived The company stated that its in-house process chain
Markforged analysed over 100 applications across six enables it to qualify materials for PBF-LB within a
industries to understand how AM is being used currently. few weeks, using its small-scale atomisation plant
The report found an array of applications said to and comprehensively equipped metallurgy laboratory.
demonstrate a strong, growing movement toward Additive Drawing on these resources, the company has reportedly
Manufacturing. qualified more than thirty-five alloys for PBF-LB in recent
The applications centred around four major themes: years.
accessibility, design freedom, physical strength and www.rosswag-engineering.de
durability, and reliability – all of them were meant to
improve or complement their conventional manufacturing
processes and workstreams.
The report discusses how the applications are changing
the way industries operate and showcases a range of AM
applications that are changing manufacturing, from the
ability to relieve skilled workers to focus on prototyping
instead of tooling to producing critical experimental test
nozzles in a matter of days instead of months. The scope
of applications included reportedly offers a unique view
into the manufacturing industry and how AM is driving
POWDER FLOW CHARACTERIZATION
business value.
POWDER SPREADABILITY TEST AND
The Additive Applications Library QUALITY CONTROL
Markforged explained that its new Additive Applications
Library allows users to find real-world AM use cases and
examples from Markforged customers globally. Users
can filter by industry, application, and materials to help
to identify similar Additive Manufacturing opportunities in
their organisation and provide inspiration for new ways to
improve their manufacturing processes.
“Many of our industry peers still believe that the value
of Additive Manufacturing is ten to fifteen years away when
you can 3D print houses, cars, and airplanes,” stated
Michael Papish, VP of Marketing at Markforged.
“But we’re seeing real value with customers today.
Applications we’re featuring in our new Trends Report and
Applications Library are already practical applications that
manufacturers can use to save money, reduce downtime,
and open up new revenue streams. Additive isn’t future www.linkedin.com/company/granutools
hype, it’s already here, calling from inside the house,” he WWW.GRANUTOOLS.COM
concluded.
contact@granutools.com | +32 483 19 83 39 | Rue Jean-Lambert Defrêne, 107 - 4340 Awans -
www.markforged.com
3D

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©2020 CNPC Powder Group Co., Ltd.
Aerojet Rocketdyne receives $1.79 commented Eileen Drake, Aerojet

Rocketdyne’s CEO and president.
billion NASA contract for additional “This contract ensures our flight
moon mission engines proven RS-25 engines will be there

every step of the way as NASA
successfully and safely achieves these
Aerojet Rocketdyne, Los Angeles, The RS-25 engines used on objectives.”
California, USA, has been awarded the SLS are reported to contain The first four RS-25 engines for the
a $1.79 billion contract modification multiple metal AM components. Artemis I SLS flight have reportedly
from NASA for the production of an One is a vibration dampening device, been integrated with the core stage,
additional eighteen RS-25 engines to the pogo accumulator assembly. which is undergoing green run testing
support future deep space explora- The pogo accumulator assembly at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. Later
tion missions, in support of NASA’s is a complex piece of hardware this year, all four engines will be fired
Artemis Program to return America to consisting of two components – the simultaneously, as they will in flight,
the Moon. pogo accumulator and pogo-z baffle on the B-2 test stand.
The flight-proven, high- – and acts as a shock absorber The second set of four engines
performance RS-25 engines are to dampen oscillations caused by for Artemis II is said to be complete
used to propel NASA’s Space Launch propellants as they flow between and is stored at Aerojet Rocketdyne’s
System (SLS) rocket, a critical the vehicle and the engine. This is facility at Stennis. Once the Artemis
element of the Artemis program. As important component to ensuring II core stage that is being built at
NASA looks to land the first woman a safe flight by stabilising these NASA’s Michoud Assembly facility
and next man on the Moon with the potential oscillations. in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, is
Artemis programme, SLS is the super “The nation is returning to the complete, the engines will be ready
heavy-lift rocket that will carry the Moon and moving forward with for integration.
crew and cargo to the lunar vicinity. plans to explore other deep space www.rocket.com
There are currently sixteen RS-25 destinations, including Mars,” www.nasa.gov
engines remaining from NASA’s
Space Shuttle Program that have
been upgraded, tested, and are ready
to support the first four SLS missions.
Aerojet Rocketdyne is already building
six new expendable RS-25 engines
that target more than a 30% cost
reduction on future production when
compared to the versions that flew on
the Space Shuttle. Delivery of these
new engines will begin in 2023.
The additional eighteen engines
continue to leverage supply chain
optimisation and the incorporation of
modern manufacturing techniques,
like metal additive manufacturing,
that were introduced in the initial SLS Aerojet Rocketdyne is to produce an additional eighteen RS-25 engines for
engine production. NASA’s Artemis program (Courtesy Aerojet Rocketdyne)
Osseus Fusion Systems receives ISO meet customer and applicable

regulatory requirements.
13485:2016 certification Derek Holland, VP Sales, Osseus
Fusion Systems, commented, “We are
Osseus Fusion Systems, Dallas, Osseus is a medical device excited to announce this ISO certifica-
Texas, USA, reports that it has company specialising in advanced tion milestone and feel it exemplifies
received ISO 13485:2016 certification technology products for minimally our drive for an impeccable level of
with the Medical Device Single invasive surgery. ISO 13485:2016 quality and compliance. Additionally,
Audit Program (MDSAP), part of the specifies requirements for a quality with demand that already exists, we
US Food and Drug Administration management system where an now have the opportunity to pursue
(FDA), which will reportedly allow the organisation needs to demonstrate international supply chains that give
company to accelerate growth of its its ability to provide medical devices us incredible growth potential.”
spinal fusion and fixation products. and related services that consistently www.osseus.com
Carpenter announces restructuring well as those already deployed, are

expected to make us even stronger.”
efforts “Although difficult, we have taken
thoughtful and aggressive actions
Carpenter Technology Corporation, These measures include reviewing to combat the uncertainty in the
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, has and prioritising capital investments near-term environment,” he continued.
announced a set of company-wide to target existing and future growth “Our actions are focused on the future
restructuring actions aimed at markets as well as exiting the Amega and are expected to have a significant
strengthening its performance. The West oil & gas business and the idling impact on profitability and free cash
plan includes reducing approximately of powder facilities in Rhode Island flow in fiscal year 2021 and beyond.”
20% of Carpenter Technology’s total and West Virginia. Collectively, the “We have an impressive manufac-
global salaried positions, which is move is expected to generate $60 to turing footprint that includes unique
expected to generate approximately $70 million of annual cost savings, assets capable of producing products
$30–35 million in annual cost savings. in addition to the significant cash that only a few in the world can match,”
The company expects to record a benefits expected to be realised. he added. “Our facilities have been
pre-tax charge of approximately “The COVID-19 pandemic has continuously operating during the
$10 million in the fourth quarter of created challenges that we have met crisis, as our safety culture provided a
the fiscal year 2020 as a result of head on,” stated Tony R Thene, presi- solid foundation for quickly adapting to
implementing these reductions. dent and CEO, Carpenter Technology the current challenges. The long-term
In addition, Carpenter Technology Corporation. “Our business remains outlook for our key end-use markets
states that it has taken other firmly on the foundation that has been remains solid and we have significantly
significant actions to position itself to built over 130 years as a recognised bolstered our position during these
manage through the market disruption leader in high-performance speciality uncertain times by demonstrating our
caused by COVID-19 and strengthen its alloy-based materials and process resilience in support of our customers’
foundation for sustainable long-term solutions for critical applications. The needs.”
growth and value creation. actions we are announcing today, as www.carpentertechnology.com
Aluminium Alloy Powders

for Additive Manufacturing
We are the development partner

for aluminium alloy powders for
additive manufacturing to create
opportunities so far unknown in
the production of metal parts.
www.imr-metalle.com
Amaero patent for high-performance Amaero says it has exclusive

global commercial license rights to
titanium alloy enters final phase the patented alloy, and believes it
will form an important part of the
Amaero International Limited, According to Amaero, the new company’s offering to its aviation,
headquartered in Notting Hill, high-performance titanium alloy, defence and space clients in the
Victoria, Australia, reports that its a heat treatable version of a beta future.
international patent application for titanium alloy, achieves ultra-high A second new high-performance
its high-performance titanium alloy strength and fatigue performance alloy developed by Monash University
Amalloy Beta Ti has entered its final via homogeneous precipitation for Amaero is also due to enter
approval stage, the national phase and the removal of grain boundary the national phase. Barrie Finnin,
of the Patent Co-operation Treaty alpha. Considered to be the highest Amaero CEO, commented, “The team
(PCT). strength-to-weight ratio of any at Monash designed a heat treatable
The PCT is an international treaty structural metal, titanium is used beta titanium alloy with a novel
with more than 150 Contracting in multiple applications across composition resulting in significant
States, allowing patent protection the aviation, defence and space improvements to yield strength of
for an invention simultaneously industries, all markets which have around 30%, as well as enhancing
in a large number of countries by been experiencing significant Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS),
filing a single international patent long-term growth in value, presenting shear strength and fatigue life. In
application, instead of filing several a significant opportunity for the an aerospace context, being able to
separate national or regional patent company. deliver improved durability, perfor-
applications. The granting of patents The alloy was developed by mance and saving weight makes
remains under the control of the researchers at Australia’s Monash a strong case for this new alloy to
national or regional patent offices, University, with which it collaborates be used in place of the traditional
called the ‘national phase’, which for the development of Additive options.”
Amalloy Beta Ti has now entered. Manufacturing technology. www.amaero.com.au
OPTIMIZE YOUR AM Years of customer feedback to combine

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AMCM launches M
4K industrial metal
AM machine for
metre-high parts
Additive Manufacturing Customized
Machines (AMCM), an EOS Group
company based in Starnberg,
Germany, has launched its AMCM M
4K-1 (single laser) and AMCM M 4K-4
(four laser) industrial Laser Beam
Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) metal
Additive Manufacturing machines.
Built on the proven EOS M 400
platform, the AMCM M 4K is designed
for the production of large compo- AMCM has begun serial production of its AMCM M 4K-1 and AMCM M 4K-4
nents, with a build height of up to 1 m. Additive Manufacturing machines (Courtesy AMCM)
Additional features include increased
robustness of the frame design, a new
filter system (RFS 2.0), and optional Mission critical applications: piece reduces cost and enables the
soft recoating. The AMCM M 4K can Launcher combustion chamber highest-performance regenerative
produce parts from a wide range PBF-LB Additive Manufacturing is cooling design.”
of materials, including aluminium used for some of the most demanding Launcher will be testing the E-2
(AlSi10Mg), nickel alloy (IN718) and applications – including high- at NASA Stennis as part of an Air
copper alloy (CuCr1Zr). performance and mission critical Force Phase II SBIR later this year.
Martin Bullemer, Managing parts. Rocket developer Launcher The AMCM M 4K platform is a global
Director of AMCM, stated, “The AMCM was one of the AMCM M 4K’s earliest offering and is available now, and
M 4K is a wholly new offering that we adopters, using the technology to several machines are currently in
have been perfecting for two years. produce its copper alloy E-2 combus- production at the company’s dedicated
What customers can appreciate is tion chamber, a very large additively new production facility in Starnberg.
that its underpinnings are that of the manufactured liquid rocket engine. In addition to the AMCM M 4K
EOS M 400 processes – which are “The AMCM M 4K solved for platform, the company reports that it is
the benchmark for metal 3D printing. both our desire to 3D print a tall producing further high-performance,
Our team is extremely proud of this combustion chamber in a single customised industrial AM machines
system now producing the biggest, piece, and produce it in a copper based on EOS technology.
highest quality metal powder bed 3D material,” explained Max Haot, https://www.amcm.com
printing applications in the world.” Launcher CEO. “Printing in a single https://www.eos.info/en
OPEN FOR INDUSTRY.
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sintering
furnace
furnace E : xiangwei.zou@hiper.cn/W:
E : xiangwei.zou@hiper.cn/W:
E : xiangwei.zou@hiper.cn/W:
www.hiper.cn
www.hiper.cn
www.hiper.cn
l Tailormade
l Tailormade
l Tailormade
furnace
furnace
acceptable
furnace
acceptable
acceptable NO.521,Haitong
NO.521,Haitong
NO.521,Haitong
Road,Cixi
Road,Cixi
City,Zhejiang,China
Road,Cixi
City,Zhejiang,China
City,Zhejiang,China
ExOne announces five projects to and optimisation with BJT. This

will allow manufacturers to
advance binder jet AM minimise production costs and
lightweight existing parts while
The ExOne Company, North all of the other universities and preserving functionality.
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, USA, companies receiving Manufacturing • The Pennsylvania State
has announced that five projects PA Innovation funding.” University: ‘Advanced
run by the company in partnership The five projects funded by Manufacturing of Ceramics
with Pennsylvania universities have Manufacturing PA are expected for PA Industries.’ This project
received funding through the Manu- to help ExOne resolve challenges aims to develop a new class of
facturing PA Innovation Program to related to the Binder Jetting of ceramic materials using Binder
advance metal Binder Jetting (BJT) irregular and porous powders, as Jetting technology, which will
Additive Manufacturing. well as sintering and identifying provide a unique combination
The award is part of a wider parts that can best benefit from of high-temperature stability,
funding round in which Pennsyl- Binder Jetting, among other corrosion resistance and
vania’s Department of Community projects. The awards are as toughness for a wide range of
and Economic Development (DCED) follows: applications.
awarded $2.8 million to Pennsyl- • Carnegie Mellon University:
vania universities for forty-three • University of Pittsburgh with
‘Binder Jet 3D Printing from
projects on advanced manufacturing Ansys: ‘A Computational
Powder Produced by Metal
technologies Tool for Simulating the
Attrition.’ This project will work
ExOne’s Binder Jetting systems Sintering Behavior in Binder
to optimise BJT AM parameters
are currently able to additively Jet Additive Manufacturing.’
and densification of irregularly
manufacture parts in more than This project aims to develop
shaped powders, such as those
twenty metals, ceramics and a computational tool for
experiencing attrition.
composite materials, but important simulating the deformation
• Carnegie Mellon University, and porosity resulting from the
R&D work is still needed to
with Kennametal and Ansys: sintering of binder jet additively
further advance the production
‘Optimal Parts Consolidation manufactured parts made of
technology.
and Structural Redesign for 316L stainless steel.
“The Manufacturing PA program
is helping ExOne to expand our Additive Manufacturing to
• Villanova University: ‘Wetting of
research and development efforts in Reduce Weight, Production
Binder Solution on Porous Bed
important ways with the assistance Costs, and Lifecycle Fuel Use.’
of Microparticles.’ This project
of Pennsylvania’s outstanding This project aims to create a
will investigate how to best wet
universities and other technology software tool that allows users
porous particles with binder
companies,” stated John Hartner, to upload a CAD file of a large-
and generate guidelines or
ExOne CEO. “The projects funded by scale system and automatically
parameters for this form of AM.
this program will help ExOne unlock identify components and
the commercial and sustainability subsystems for consolidation www.exone.com
value that binder jet 3D printing
has to offer, such as delivering
lighter weight vehicles that are more
fuel-efficient as well as all-new
innovations.”
ExOne’s Additive Manufacturing
machines are believed to be the
most researched in the field of
Binder Jetting, and this work
has played an important role in
advancing ExOne’s BJT strategies,
materials and processes.
“We strongly value our relation-
ships with the academic R&D
community, and we appreciate their
support enhancing our competitive-
ness and advancing this important
3D printing field,” Hartner added. ExOne’s Additive Manufacturing machines are believed to be the most
“We congratulate our partners and researched in the field of Binder Jetting (Courtesy The ExOne Company)
Velo3D raises $28 million in Series D applications with performance levels

that weren’t possible before with 3D
funding round metal printing.”
Ricardo Angel, CEO and Managing
Velo3D, Campbell, California, USA, and gained seven new customers, Partner at Piva, commented, “Velo3D
has raised $28 million in a Series D many of which have placed repeat is revolutionising the way we think
funding round. New investors Piva orders. about advanced manufacturing today.
and TNSC joined the round, along with Piva, which is said to be the largest We have been impressed by Benny,
existing investors Bessemer Venture investor in this new round of funding, the team and their breakthrough
Partners, Playground, and Khosla has a strong heritage in industrial technology that will have a significant
Ventures, bringing Velo3D’s total markets, as it is backed by Malaysia- impact on the efficient design and
funding to $138 million. based PETRONAS, one of the world’s manufacturing of more complex
The company states that it plans largest energy companies. components, previously unattainable,
to use the new capital to expand its “With the Velo3D integrated with clear commercial traction
product portfolio to include more solution of Flow™ advanced pre-print already in the aerospace and aviation
machine options, compatible alloys, software, Sapphire™ printer, and markets.”
and enhanced software and hardware Assure™ quality management Angel added, “Velo3D will lead a
capabilities. It anticipates that the software, companies can finally new wave of more resilient, distrib-
injection of fresh capital will help it break free of the constraints of uted manufacturing capabilities for
to reach sustainable profitability by existing metal Additive Manufacturing its most critical components, which
mid-2022. processes,” stated Benny Buller, the world will need to ensure local
Founded in 2015, Velo3 announced Founder and CEO of Velo3D. product availability and timeliness,
availability of its Sapphire AM “Customers in industries such as while mitigating potential future
machine in 2019. In its first year of aerospace, oil & gas, and power worldwide disruptions.”
commercialisation, the company generation are now able to achieve www.velo3d.com
reported nearly $30 million in sales part quality for their mission-critical www.piva.vc
Formnext 2020 remains on course for The organiser explains that

the health of exhibitors, visitors
November event, with digital options and employees remains a top
if required priority. Therefore, concepts are

currently being developed to ensure
the highest standards of health
Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the to present products and solutions protection. These include reducing
organiser of Formnext, reports that digitally to the international trade visitor density, guaranteeing high
it still expects the event, scheduled audience. Concepts and platforms hygiene standards and introducing
to take place in Frankfurt, Germany, are currently being developed for this contact tracing. These concepts are
from November 10–13, 2020, to go purpose with further details to be currently being coordinated with the
ahead. The organiser also states that released in the coming weeks. responsible authorities and will be
it is working on a concept for safe- According to the organiser, the duly implemented in due course.
guarding the health of attendees and rulings of the Federal Government In addition to health protection,
a supplementary digital programme. and the Federal States of Germany, Formnext 2020 is reportedly
“We remain convinced of the dated May 6 2020, stating that trade being designed in consideration
unique value and advantages of a shows are no longer considered to fall of a number of other important
physical exhibition,” explained Sascha under the category of major events factors, such as the wider economic
F Wenzler, Vice President of Form- that pose a particular health risk, also environment, the economic situation
next, Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. give cause for optimism for the event in the AM sector, and developments
“And although digital interaction will to run as planned in November. in the European and global travel
never be able to replace face-to-face Wenzler added, “This is great industry.
contact, it does offer more scope than news not only for the trade show “Ultimately, even in these chal-
previously thought possible only a few industry, but for the entire economy. lenging times, we want to organise
weeks ago.” Trade shows are an important driver a trade show that is as responsive
It is for this reason that the organ- of innovation and value creation in as possible to the current situation
iser intends to consider digital options industry, especially after months of and the needs of participants and
for Formnext, for example, exhibitors economic standstill in many indus- the market,” concluded Wenzler.
will also be given the opportunity tries and sectors.” www.formnext.com
With the widest range of

materials, the EOS M 290
reliably manufactures your
application: aluminium,
cobalt chrome, nickel,
stainless & tool steel,
titanium alloys and more.
Which of the 21 materials
fits your business?
www.eos.info
EOS M 290
With 21 Materials
for Production
VBN Components
accelerates growth
with Swedish
Scaleups
VBN Components, Uppsala, Sweden,
has been adopted into the Swedish
Scaleups programme, which helps
innovative companies in Eastern
Central Sweden to accelerate their
growth. The company manufactures
extremely abrasion- and heat-
resistant metal components and
tools for industrial use.
The company’s finished metal Ulrik Beste, Technical Manager (left) and Isabelle Bodén, Customer Relations
alloys are marketed under the Vibe- at VBN Components (Courtesy VBN Components)
nite® brand. Products are additively
manufactured from Vibenite using
the company’s patented process, said the companies’ operations faster. innovative business concept as well
to offer customers material savings VBN Components stated that the as good conditions for rapid growth.
of up to 87%, improved properties programme will offer it access to We look forward to following their
with integrated cooling channels, specialist knowledge in areas such journey of success.”
increased service life and lower as law, finance, marketing, leader- “Having been accepted to
weight. ship and technology. The goal is to Swedish Scaleups is fully in line
Swedish Scaleups is aimed at move the company’s products from with our growth plan,” added Ulrik
mature companies that are ready early adopters to the mass market Beste, Technical Manager at VBN
to scale up seriously and invest in while maintaining the balance Components. “The growth of a
strong growth. The programme is between growth, recruitment and company can be described as a
completely industry independent and cash flow. collection of geometric figures, that
is said to be tailored to the needs Michael Camitz, Project Manager, need to be placed in the market’s
of companies focusing on capital Swedish Scaleups / Uppsala Innova- previously different shaped holes.
raising and internationalisation. tion Centre, stated, “We are incred- Swedish Scaleups helps with
Together, through Swedish ibly pleased that VBN Components precision and how we can take
Scaleups, ten company incubators sees the value of participating in shortcuts.”
and science parks offer access to Swedish Scaleups. It is an exciting www.swedishscaleups.se
tailor-made support to scale up company with a sustainable and www.vbncomponents.se
Report expects high growth in of Equispheres. “Now recent events

have permanently impacted existing
aluminium powder market by 2023 supply chain approaches and there
is immense market pressure on
A recently published report, by and examines trends, technologies the Additive Manufacturing industry
industry analyst IDC, sponsored and challenges related to the metal to improve process reliability and
by powder and material science AM market. It also discusses the part mechanical properties so that
company Equispheres, Ottawa, challenges of introducing new supply chain gaps can be filled. With
Ontario, Canada, predicts that the technologies to the market and our unique powder, we have the
demand for aluminium powder in the how Equispheres believes that it is ingredients to enable the industry to
Additive Manufacturing market will positioned to help meet this market meet this challenge.”
grow to over $695 million in 2023. demand. The IDC Technology Spotlight
Compared to the stated value of “The entire Additive Manufacturing states that with the ability to use
$147 million in 2018, this represents industry has faced challenges higher quality feedstock in production,
a compound annual growth rate of surrounding the mechanical metal AM, in certain applications,
36.5%. properties and reliability of their is now a much more appealing
The report, available to download production powders for years,” stated option.
from Equispheres’ website, dissects Kevin Nicholds, President and CEO www.equispheres.com
Velo3D launches metre-tall industrial turing system, and is also compatible

with nickel-based alloys.
metal AM machine, Knust-Godwin Knust-Godwin will utilise the
secures first order new Sapphire machine to additively

manufacture a part for oilfield drilling
that is currently manufactured using
Velo3D, Campbell, California, USA, Technical features of the metre- more than five subtractive processes.
reports that it plans to launch a next- tall Sapphire AM machine include Mike Corliss, VP of Technology
generation Sapphire® industrial metal a 315 mm diameter build plate, at Knust-Godwin, stated, “There
Additive Manufacturing machine with dual 1 kW lasers, in-situ optical tends to be a trade-off between
a vertical axis of 1 metre. The machine calibration, as well as many of the large-format additive machines and
is scheduled to ship in Q4 2020, with same characteristics of the existing part quality; Velo3D is attractive to
precision-tool and component manu- Sapphire machine. It is believed to us because of their semi-conductor
facturer Knust-Godwin having secured be the world’s tallest production heritage and engineering disciplines
the first order to produce parts for an metal Laser Beam Powder Bed around process control and
oil and gas application. Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufac- metrology. We have confidence that
we’ll be able to build mission-critical
industrial parts without compromises
315 mm Ø made to part quality.”
(12.4”) “Our vision at Velo3D is to enable
end-users to build whatever they
want without the constraints of
NEW yesterday’s standards,” stated Benny
1 m Buller, Founder and CEO of Velo3D.
(39.6”) “One of those constraints is the
build envelope. A metre-tall system
enables industrial applications that
couldn’t be built before, especially
for oilfield service tools and flight
Current
400 mm hardware. Best of all, it will still
(15.75”) utilise our highly patented Support-
Free process, in-situ calibration,
and process control for quality
assurance.”
www.velo3d.com
Velo3D has launched a 1 m tall Sapphire metal AM machine (Courtesy Velo3D) www.kgsbo.com
New hybrid AM additional heat treatment processes

have typically been used to address
evaluated to characterise the in-situ
sintering effect.
process combines this problem. Unfortunately, to The engineers observed that
induction heating achieve significant improvements,

long and extensive heat treatments
deposition efficiency was doubled with
the hybrid process, compared to the
and low-pressure are required. traditional low-pressure cold spray
cold spray As a potential solution to this

issue, the engineers developed a
process. Additionally, the resulting
adhesion strength was increased
tunable hybrid Additive Manufacturing by a factor of 70, while the coating
Engineers from the University process by coupling induction heating micro-hardness was reduced by 20%.
of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and low-pressure cold spray. Finally, the tensile strength speci-
have designed a hybrid Additive Pure aluminium was used as mens produced by the hybrid process
Manufacturing technology that can the soft feedstock powder, while reached a 2% total elongation,
help to prevent delamination of soft Ti-6Al-4V was used for the hard compared to 0.8% for the traditional
and ductile materials from hard substrate. Substrates were preheated process. The engineers believe that
substrates, reports ASM Interna- at temperatures of 200°C, 400°C, these results open up the possibility
tional. and 600°C to accelerate the in-situ of using this hybrid technique as an
According to the engineers, sintering process. Deposition Additive Manufacturing process for
delamination is a challenge when efficiency, micro-hardness, adhesion coatings and bulk parts production.
using the cold spray process, and strength, and tensile strength were www.uottawa.ca
FROM CONCEPT
TO COMPONENT
Additive Manufacturing
The next dimension in HPDC tooling
As a global steel and technology leader, we offer the full suite of production techniques
and services throughout the value chain, supporting and driving innovation and
development based on lengthy experience around materials and processing. Starting from
the alloy development and metal powder production, to design and manufacturing and
including post-processing. We offer the end-to-end solutions to reduce waste and mitigate
risk in the supply chain with the goal of being your trusted and reliable business partner.
We deliver tailormade solutions from concept to component.
voestalpine Additive Manufacturing

www.voestalpine.com/additive
ArianeGroup tests entirely additively and is designed to validate innova-

tive manufacturing technologies,
manufactured combustion chamber materials and processes, such as
AM, laser ignition, and the use of
ArianeGroup, headquartered in Issy- The tests were conducted jointly low-cost materials.
les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France, by ArianeGroup and DLR and follow The combustion chamber
reports that it has successfully tested on from the hot fire test campaign features numerous innovations,
its first entirely additively manufac- conducted last year, which validated such as low-cost copper alloy
tured combustion chamber. fourteen technological building cooling channels and an outer jacket
Formerly Airbus Safran Launchers, blocks for future liquid-propellant made by cold gas spraying. Addition-
ArianeGroup is a joint venture of rocket engines. The results are ally, the combustion chamber
the European aerospace company believed to represent a key step includes a single-piece injection
Airbus and the French group Safran. in the preparations for the future head produced by Laser Beam
It consists of three core businesses development of very-low-cost rocket Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB).
which include aerospace (orbital engines. According to ArianeGroup, Addi-
propulsion systems and equipment), The additively manufactured tive Manufacturing will be adopted
defence and security. combustion chamber was produced across the board going forward for
The additively manufactured and tested under ESA’s Expander- all ArianeGroup liquid-propellant
combustion chamber, designed by Cycle Technology Integrated engines, for both upper stage
ArianeGroup in Germany, was report- Demonstrator (ETID) project, part of engines (ETID) and high-thrust
edly successfully fire tested fourteen ESA’s Future Launchers Preparatory mainstage engines (Prometheus).
times between May 26–June 2, on Programme (FLPP). It is a full-scale The work on ETID and Prometheus
the P8 test bench of the DLR German demonstrator for a launcher upper is being carried out under ESA’s
Aerospace Center’s Lampoldshausen stage engine, which incorporates FLPP which aims to enhance the
testing facility. the latest propulsion technologies competitiveness of future European
launchers by creating mature
technical solutions that are ready
for rapid deployment, developing
products with lower cost, effort, and
risk.
The company says that these
programmes enable ArianeGroup
to develop its expertise in the field
of AM for launcher propulsion
systems, a technology which is
reportedly revolutionising the design
and production of future rocket
engines.
ArianeGroup already uses
Additive Manufacturing to produce
components for Ariane 6 engines,
and apart from significantly reducing
costs and shortening production
cycles, the use of AM has reportedly
made it possible to integrate the
Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) into
Ariane 6, increasing the launcher’s
ability to adapt to the needs of
different missions.
www.ariane.group
ArianeGroup has successfully tested a completely additively manufactured www.dlr.de
combustion chamber (Courtesy ArianeGroup) www.esa.int
Submitting news..
Submitting news to Metal AM is free of charge. For more information contact Paul Whittaker:
Automated
powder removal
- Reproducible cleaning results

- Examined protection against hazardous
& explosive metal dust
- Completely inert material handling
- Collection of residual powder for reuse
- Built to last with low maintenance costs
- Time saving up to 90%
engineered
and made
solukon.de
Vol. 6 No. 2 © 2020 Inovar Communications Ltd Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2020in Germany
41
Alan M Phillips, Phillips CEO,

Phillips Corporation to provide AM commented, “Phillips Corporation
expertise and support at US Army’s sees substantial growth opportuni-
ties in Additive Manufacturing
Rock Island Arsenal technologies (also known as 3D
printing) that are rapidly advancing
Phillips Corporation, Federal current and future supply chain applications for forming unique
Division, Hannover, Maryland, USA, challenges. Phillips has exclusive metal and plastic industrial parts
a leading service provider and partnerships with EOS, SPEE3D for the Defense Industrial Base.”
distributor of machines and ancil- and others to provide additive and “In order to increase awareness
lary equipment to the United States subtractive manufacturing support for these technologies, Phillips is
Federal Government, has executed to the Federal Government. pleased to reach an agreement
a Public Private Partnership Agree- At the ribbon-cutting for with the Army’s Rock Island CoE
ment (P3) to support the US Army the Rock Island Arsenal CoE, where we can collaborate on
Center of Excellence for Advanced Major General Daniel Mitchell, manufacturing unique parts using
Manufacturing at the Rock Island commanding general US Army additive technology applications
Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Tank-Automotive and Armaments and processes,” he continued. “This
Technology Center. Command, stated, “I would have an exciting time in the evolution of
The P3 calls for Phillips to be never dreamed that we would be Additive Manufacturing, and we are
based at the CoE facility in Rock able to print out parts. Advanced pleased to be involved with the CoE
Island, where Phillips Federal manufacturing technology holds as a thought and application leader
applications engineers will collabo- the promise of greatly increased in the Additive Manufacturing
rate with their army counterparts Army readiness rates so that we segment of our industry.”
to exploit the potential of Additive will be ready to spring into action https://phillipscorp.com
Manufacturing in developing whenever and wherever our nation www.army.mil/ria
solutions to meet the army’s calls upon us.”
AM Tool Steel Powder for Tools, Molds and Dies

• High Hardness, Toughness & Corrosion Resistance
• Prints Reliably, Efficiently and Crack Free
• Low Toxicity (Cobalt Free)
• Utilizable without Heat Treatment
Superior Performance/Price to M300 Maraging Steel
For more information contact us at info@formetrixmetals.com FormetrixMetals.com/MetalAdditiveMag.
Stratasys to reduce Malvern Panalytical technology portfolio. Systems will be

used for customer demonstrations,
global workforce opens Shanghai to provide expertise for current
by 10% application centre customers, and to develop new

applications and solutions.
According to the company, the
Stratasys Ltd, headquartered in Malvern Panalytical, a global supplier centre not only provides sample
Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA, and of analytical instrumentation and measurements for customers,
Rehovot, Israel, has reported plans software, opened its APAC Application but also enables corresponding
to reduce its global workforce as Center of Excellence in Shanghai on measurement solution development
part of its strategic plan to accel- May 22, 2020, within its Shanghai and professional technical consulting
erate growth with a leaner operating offices. The new multi-functional services, including core service
model. application centre is said to showcase functions.
The company states that this a large part of the Malvern Panalytical www.malvernpanalytical.com
resizing, which it has advanced
sooner than planned due to the
impact of COVID-19, will affect
approximately 10% of employees,
and is designed to reduce operating
expenses as part of a cost-
realignment programme to focus on
profitable growth. Stratasys expects
the majority of the reduction to take
place in the second quarter and
completeduring the third quarter of
this year.
Sintervac® AM debind and sinter
In conjunction with other
cost-mitigation measures, the
vacuum furnaces for Additive
resizing effort is expected to reduce
annualised operating expenses
Manufactured parts
by approximately $30 million. The Over 6,500 production and laboratory furnaces manufactured since 1954
company states that it will incur a
charge of approximately $6 million • Metal or graphite hot zones
in severance costs, primarily in the
• Processes all binders for
second quarter of this year. metals or ceramics
“This reduction in force is a
• Sizes from 8-1500 liters
difficult but essential step in our (0.3–54 cu ft.)
ongoing strategic process, designed
• Pressures from 10-6 mbar to
to better position the company for Atmosphere
sustainable and profitable growth,” • Precision heat treating post
commented Yoav Zeif, Chief Execu- processing available
tive Officer of Stratasys. “I would • Vacuum, Ar, N2 and H2
like to express my appreciation to
• Max possible temperature
each of the employees impacted 3,500°C (6,332°F)
by this decision for their dedicated • Worldwide field service,
service.” rebuilds and parts for all
“Current conditions make the job makes
market even more challenging, and
we have done our best to provide the
departing employees globally with
a respectable and fair separation,”
Sintervac® AM
he continued. “This measure is not WorkhorseTM AM
expected to affect the progress on
our forthcoming product launch Centorr Vacuum Industries
plans, which remain a top priority as 55 Northeastern Blvd
Nashua, NH 03062
we lead the industry to new heights USA
with our best-in-class Additive Tel: +1 603 595 7233
Manufacturing solutions.” www.centorr.com Fax: +1 603 595 9220

Email: sales@centorr.com
www.stratasys.com
Your partner for additive

manufactured components
3D printing 3D post processing

services equipment
rapid precise tailor-made
A brand of the Rösler Group www.solutions-for-am.com

Meltio makes its metal AM machine finance plans ranging from thirty-six
to sixty months. Finance plans start
available on lease-to-own programme at €1,600 a month, depending on the
configuration of the machine and
Metal Additive Manufacturing part repairs, laser cladding, welding, terms of the agreement.
company Meltio, based in Linares, texturing and more, and is said to At the close of the lease period,
Spain, and Las Vegas, Nevada, offer easy integration with CNC the leaser will have the option to take
USA, has announced that its Meltio systems, robots and gantry systems, ownership of the financed machine
M450 metal Additive Manufacturing as well as with hybrid manufacturing when paying the last instalment or
machine can now be acquired through systems with AM capabilities. renewing the lease and receiving a
a new lease-to-own programme, The new lease-to-own programme new system or model. The programme
made available through HP Financial is said to make financing the purchase is available in more than fifty countries
Services. of a Meltio metal AM machine more and territories.
The company debuted its metal affordable by offering long-term www.meltio3d.com
Additive Manufacturing technology
at Formnext 2019, in Frankfurt,
Germany, in November. Referred to as
a ‘4D manufacturing’ technology with
‘3E Metal Deposition’, the Meltio M450
is capable of building fully-dense
parts from wire and powder in the
same machine, using a patented
multi-laser deposition technology.
The scalable machine is said
to offer a small footprint, and is
reportedly 50% less expensive than
current market systems, while using
materials up to ten times cheaper
than typically used in metal AM. It The Meltio M450 is capable of building fully-dense parts from powder (left)
can be used for applications including and wire (right) in the same machine, using a patented multi-laser deposition
the manufacturing of metal parts, technology (Courtesy Meltio)
Sandvik achieves AS9100D aerospace towards sustainable manufacturing,
certification for titanium and nickel- Sandvik explains that traceability is

of vital importance in the aerospace
base superalloy powders industry, the company can offer trace-
ability for its titanium powder, which
Sandvik AB, headquartered in 23. The nickel-base superalloys are is made possible by having the full
Stockholm, Sweden, reports that its Osprey Alloy 625 and Osprey Alloy 718. supply chain inhouse – from titanium
new powder plant for titanium and “Having atomised fine metal sponge to finished powder.
nickel-base superalloys has received powders for more than forty years, and The new titanium powder process
AS9100 Revision D certification for supplying titanium to the aerospace uses advanced electrode inert gas
deliveries to the aerospace industry. industry since the 1980s, Sandvik is no atomisation technology to produce
The powder plant for Osprey® stranger to powder atomisation or the highly consistent and repeatable
titanium and nickel-base superalloys requirements of the most demanding titanium powder with low oxygen
was officially opened at the end of industries,” stated Keith Murray, Vice and nitrogen levels. The automated
2019 in Sandviken, Sweden. Since President of Global Sales, Sandvik production process is also supported
then, extensive work has been Additive Manufacturing. by several industrial robots and
ongoing to ramp up the highly “Now we are one of few companies a dedicated downstream sieving,
automated plant, fine-tuning all that has the new and prestigious AS blending and packing facility.
processes and qualifying the powder 9100D quality certification for our “Our highly automated manu-
to ensure the best possible consist- Osprey titanium powder and nickel-base facturing process ensures excellent
ency, morphology and quality. The superalloys used for Additive Manufac- consistency – and the powders
first two titanium powders produced turing. It is a true milestone, which will demonstrate optimal particle size
at the plant are Osprey Ti-6Al-4V facilitate many customer collaborations distribution,” Murray concluded.
Grade 5 and Osprey Ti-6Al-4V Grade going forward.” In addition to a shift www.additive.sandvik
Additive Industries secures €14 million lutionise the productivity for the AM
of high quality metal parts,” Kersten
funding; Kersten to depart company commented. “After eight intense
years of fast growth I feel the time is
Additive Industries, Eindhoven, is found, Mark Vaes, the company’s right to make way and hand over the
the Netherlands, has secured a current Chief Technology Officer, will reins to new leadership.“
€14 million investment from its assume the position of CEO. Vaes added, “Since our inception
shareholder Highlands Beheer BV, In addition to Additive Industries’ in 2012 we have been working
parent company of the Wintermans expansion plans, the company noted relentlessly on building a system
family. Additive Industries plans to that the new funding will also provide that is unlike any other. A modular
use the capital contribution for the cover for any possible impact of the system with the largest symmetrical
expansion of its product portfolio, coronavirus (COVID-19) that may build volume commercially available,
the acceleration of its technological affect the company’s business in due minimum operating interference
roadmap and strengthening of course. and most of all, class leading
working capital. “This substantial investment productivity. I am convinced that with
Highlands has also acquired the confirms the long-term commitment the continued support of our clients,
shares owned by Daan Kersten, of Highlands to the growth ambitions our partners, our team and our
Additive Industries’ co-founder and of the company and it allows Additive shareholders we can now push our
CEO, who left the company on June Industries to make yet another innovation roadmap even more.”
30, 2020. Until a suitable successor significant step on its mission to revo- www.additiveindustries.com
3DEO achieves ISO 9001:2015 ment system is the backbone of

any world-class production line.
certification The ISO certification marks an
important step in realising 3DEO’s
3DEO, Inc., a metal Additive Manu- 3DEO explained that the overall long-term vision of leveraging
facturing technology company based process of ISO 9001 certification next-generation technologies to
in Los Angeles, California, USA, has has taken the company just three build the world’s highest quality,
received ISO 9001:2015 certification, months, whereas the normal data-driven factory of the future. In
which will enable it to further develop implementation time is six to twelve the previous generation of manu-
the commercialisation of its AM months. The company was able facturing, spot checks and random
technology. ISO 9001 is the interna- to achieve implementation within sampling were best of class.”
tionally recognised standard for a this timeframe because its factory Petros continued, “3DEO is
quality management system (QMS). and its systems were designed building a dynamic production line
The certification allows companies to and built with process control and with real-time streaming data that
operate more effectively on several quality production methodology as a allows ongoing monitoring and
different levels, including the ability requirement. end-to-end closed-loop feedback.
to focus on customer requirements, “The ISO 9001 certification is For 3DEO, ISO is the starting point
ensure consistent production and a terrific milestone for 3DEO,” of what we expect to become the
continuously improve all aspects of commented Matt Petros, 3DEO’s next generation of manufacturing.”
the production process. CEO. “A strong quality manage- Marty McGough, COO at 3DEO,
stated, “We were very excited to
implement ISO 9001 and achieve
this world-class certification. Our
starting point was a controlled
process that provided us a stable
base to work from. The certification
has been very helpful in further
accelerating our continuous
improvement program throughout
the entire organisation. We’re
looking forward to continuing our
work in this area and excelling
at our ISO and industry specific
certification requirements in the
The 3DEO team celebrates achieving ISO 9001:2015 certification (Courtesy coming years.”
3DEO, Inc) www.3deo.co
Farsoon introduces
large-frame
metal Additive
Manufacturing
machine
Farsoon Technologies, Changsha,
Hunan, China, has introduced a new
large-frame Laser Beam Powder
Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) machine, the
FS621M. In developing the industrial- A spacecraft engine component measuring 590 mm in diameter, built by
scale metal Additive Manufacturing Falcontech on the Farsoon FS621M (Courtesy Farsoon Technologies)
machine, the company aimed to
address some of the challenges
faced by industry, including machine with a focus on extending the The FS621M can be equipped with
productivity, part size constraints, machine’s build cylinder volume and a single 1000 W laser or four 500 W
powder management, process control increasing maximum productivity lasers, allowing for higher rates of
and factory layout. per laser. Being an important part of production. Like all Farsoon machines,
Farsoon is a global manufacturer Falcontech’s new Super AM Factory, it operates on an open platform which
and supplier of industrial level the FS621M system is expected offers the user a high degree of control
polymer and metal Additive Manu- to give Falcontech an advantage to tailor build parameters for cost-
facturing systems. It established in metal additively manufacturing competitive metal AM. An advanced
Farsoon Technologies-Americas in components for large aerospace dynamic three-axis scanning system,
Austin, Texas, USA, in 2017, and in applications. powerful build process controls and
2018, Farsoon Europe GmbH was The new machine features a real-time recoating monitoring are
established in Stuttgart, Germany, to build platform size of 620 × 620 mm also said to help ensure build quality.
expand direct operations in Europe. and vertical axis of 1.1 m. This build The machine also incorporates
The company developed the envelope offers new possibilities an integrated filter module, a
FS621M in collaboration with for large-scale metal production secondary circulating system and a
industry partner Falcontech co., that, according to Farsoon, were dual-station filter design, allowing
LTD., Wuxi City, Jiangsu, China, not previously possible in industries for the exchanging of filters without
a leading manufacturing service such as aerospace, oil and gas, and disturbing the build process. The
provider in the aerospace industry, many others. FS621M’s powder handling processes
share a common powder container
design, which is used during loading,
unloading and sieving procedures.
These containers offer fully-sealed
powder handling, easy transportation
between stations and safe storage of
powder.
The total installed base of FS621M
machines currently numbers seven
among aerospace and large-scale
manufacturing customers which focus
on large-volume AM, batch production,
and process development for the
AM of industrial powder materials
including titanium and aluminium
alloys, nickel-base superalloys and
stainless steels. Falcontech reports
that it has succeeded in supporting the
development and series production
of spacecraft components by AM in a
The FS621M large-frame metal AM machine offers a build platform of 620 x number of aerospace projects.
620 mm and a vertical axis of 1.1 m (Courtesy Farsoon Technologies) http://en.farsoon.com
GF Machining Solutions
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3D Systems appoints Jeff Graves its new

President and CEO
3D Systems, Rock Hill, South Carolina, Electronics, a manufacturer of
USA, reports that its Board of Direc- high-performance capacitor solutions,
tors has named Dr Jeffrey A Graves for three years.
as the company’s new President and He currently serves on the Board of
CEO, effective May 26, 2020. Graves Directors of Hexcel, a leading global
brings seventeen years of CEO experi- manufacturer of advanced composite
ence and replaces Vyomesh Joshi materials, and Faro, a company that Jeff Graves has been appointed as
(VJ), who announced his retirement in develops and manufactures solu- 3D Systems’ new President and CEO
February. tions that enable high-precision 3D (Courtesy 3D Systems)
Graves joins 3D Systems from MTS capture, measurement and analysis
Systems, a leading global supplier of across a variety of industries. He domain expertise to help companies
high-performance test, simulation holds a Bachelor of Science, Master benefit from this transformation.”
and measurement systems, where of Science and Doctorate in Metal- Charles (Chip) McClure, chairman
he served as CEO for the past eight lurgical Engineering and Materials of the board of directors, commented,
years. During his time at MTS, Graves Science. “Jeff’s financial and operational
reportedly led a company transforma- “I am incredibly excited about the discipline and precision is a core
tion to clearly define and deploy opportunity at 3D Systems,” stated reason we chose him for this role, has
a focused business strategy and Graves. “Digital manufacturing will shown that he knows how to organise
streamlined operating model. play a key role in the transformation and focus a business portfolio and
Prior to MTS, Graves was CEO of of manufacturing, and 3D Systems is streamline an operating model to
C&D Technologies, a global provider uniquely positioned with its portfolio deliver differentiated solutions to
of energy storage products for seven of additive manufacturing systems, markets.”
years, and served as CEO of KEMET material science, software and www.3dsystems.com
Sigma Labs Inc.

3900 Paseo del Sol
Santa Fe, NM 87507
+1 (505) 438-2576
www.sigmalabsinc.com
Protolabs invests ordering platform it goes through a

short feasibility check by our expert
and additional employees, the new
location will support our activity
£10.5 million to design team and then on to be in the UK, especially our ability to
increase AM printed. The new facility will give us

the capacity to speed this process
produce certified medical devices
under ISO 13485.”
capability up even more to real time.” He concluded, “Our expansion
Klass added, “We will be able plans in the UK and Germany show
Protolabs, Maple Plain, Minnesota, to move all departments from the that our concept of digitalisation
USA, has begun work on a £10.5 current building in Feldkirchen and automated processes is in line
million facility that is expected to near Munich to Putzbrunn and, with the spirit of the times and
increase its Additive Manufacturing importantly, with the larger produc- the requirement to support our
capability by 50%, in order to meet tion area and 50% more capacity, customers in bringing products
growing demand. we’ll be able to deliver even more to market in the shortest possible
The company is building a projects in as little as one day. time.”
new 5,000 m2 production facility With optimised work processes www.protolabs.com
in Putzbrunn, Germany, that
will provide customers with
greater access to its automated
manufacturing processes and
quality systems. Despite the
coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
impacting economies across
Europe, construction of the new AM powder needs our joint approach.
building has started, with the initial
shell scheduled to be completed
by the end of December 2020, and
the fit-out and machinery due to be
installed in several stages beginning
in May 2021.
Additionally, up to twenty-five
further machines and additional
equipment will be added to the
existing technology, whilst a CNC
machining centre, with a 5-axis
milling machine, will be installed to
support the finishing of additively
manufactured parts for high-end
applications. Automated finishing,
colouring and painting systems will
also be part of the expansion, along
with additional AM technologies in
the future. Automated recovery and conditioning of powder
Protolabs explains that this is the in industrial SLM. Safe & Clean.
latest investment by the company
in supporting its global customer www.ampplus.de
base across automotive, aerospace,
medical, electronics and heavy
industry, and follows a £5 million
extension currently being finalised
at its European Headquarters in
Telford, Shropshire, UK.
“We are the world’s fastest
digital manufacturer, but a major Conditoning and hand- Safe and automated Air filtration, cleaning of
ling of SLM process powder removal and gases and absorption
goal for us is to produce 3D printed reclamation.
metal powders. drying technology.
parts even faster,” stated Bjoern
Klaas, Vice President and Managing
Director of Protolabs Europe. “When
a finished design enters our online
Triditive plans 1,700 m2 factory for to be a process with the highest

throughput of cost-efficient metal
production of its AM machines parts. The modular AMCell series
is composed of an Additive Manu-
Triditive, Gijón, Spain, has announced a software platform for remote facturing module, quality control
plans to open a 1,700 m2 factory in control and automatic produc- and automatic storage modules,
Siero, Spain, for the production of tion optimisation, to automate and customers can configure it
its AMCell Additive Manufacturing and manage the entire Additive depending on their needs, adding as
machines. The move comes after Manufacturing workflow in a single many modules as they need to scale
the company received an investment platform. up production capacity.
from US-based Stanley Ventures, The machine is powered by The company has already sold
the venture capital team of Stanley Automated Multimaterial Deposition several of its AMCell machines to
Black & Decker, Inc., and Sadim (AMD) Technology® and uses a the Spanish Army and to Stanley
Inversiones, an economic promo- process similar to Metal Injection Black & Decker for its USA factories.
tion company based in Ujo, Spain, Moulding to produce green parts, Stanley Ventures delivers access
enabling plans for the facility to go with the advantages of the Material to breakthrough technologies and
ahead. Extrusion (MEX) AM processes (also innovation partnerships across
AMCell is described by Triditive referred to as Fused Deposition Stanley Black & Decker’s businesses
as the first automated ‘3D Factory Modelling and Fused Filament as a strategic investor that acceler-
in a Box’ and integrated with EVAM, Fabrication). The result is said ates growth and collaboration around
the globe through a diverse portfolio
of companies.
The investment from Stanley
Ventures follows Triditive’s presenta-
tion of the AMCell at the Stanley +
Techstars Accelerator Demo Day
in Hartford, Connecticut, USA, in
October 2019. Triditive is said to be
the first Spanish company in which
Stanley Ventures has invested. Mariel
Diaz, Triditive’s Founder and CEO,
stated, “We will create the largest
AM Factory in Spain! 20,000 ft2 to
create technology, employment, and
add value to our customers. Thanks
to our investors Stanley Ventures,
Sadim Inversiones and Techstars for
the support!”
www.triditive.com
AMCell is described by Triditive as the first automated ‘3D Factory in a Box’ www.stanleyventures.com
(Courtesy Triditive) www.sadiminversiones.es
Osaka Titanium Technologies receives commercial pure (CP) titanium

powder, Ti-6Al-4V pre-alloyed
AS9100 certification for spherical Ti powder, both with ranges of powder
alloy powder particle size distribution tailored to

the customer’s specific applications.
The product’s AS9100
Osaka Titanium Technologies Co., TILOP (Titanium Low Oxygen certification recognises it as
Ltd., Amagasaki, Hyōgo Prefecture, Powder) is the brand name given meeting the requirements
Japan, has been awarded JIS Q 9100 by Osaka Titanium Technologies to imposed by the standard for the
(AS9100) certification for its TILOP its method of producing titanium manufacturing and sale of high-
(Pre-Alloy) spherical titanium alloy powder by gas atomisation for performance materials. Certification
powder. AS9100 is a widely adopted Additive Manufacturing and Metal was awarded by the Japan Quality
and standardised quality manage- Injection Moulding. OTC produces Assurance Organization (JQA).
ment system for the aerospace several titanium powders under www.osaka-ti.co.jp
industry and defence sector. the TILOP brand name, including
NEW
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VDM® Powder 71
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VDM
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VDM® Powder Co
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VDM
VDM® Powder 59
and many more!
Outstanding performance
Nickel and cobalt alloys produced by VDM Metals are used
in many of today‘s key technologies for the safe and reliable
handling of corrosive and high-temperature processes and
procedures. In addition to exceptional materials, available
as powders in a wide range of particle fractions, we offer
you various first class services.
A company of ACERINOX
vdm@vdm-metals.com
www.vdm-metals.com
Elementum 3D
granted patents for
its Reactive AM
Elementum 3D, Erie, Colorado, USA,
has been awarded patents in the USA, Without RAM
Canada, and Australia for its Reac-
tive Additive Manufacturing (RAM) Fig. 1 Unmodified ‘standard’ 6061 aluminium alloy after Additive Manufacturing
technology. The company states that by PBF-LB showing large grains and an extensive network of intergranular
its RAM process significantly expands cracking. The left-hand image is unetched and the right-hand micrograph
the potential AM materials library by is etched with weck’s reagent and taken at higher magnification (Courtesy
enabling the Additive Manufacturing Elementum 3D)
of previously unviable materials.
Through RAM, Elementum 3D
explains that it has introduced a material etched with weck’s reagent gives the A6061-RAM2 material its
family of new Laser Beam Powder showing the cracking network. properties.
Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) AM materials Elementum 3D’s A6061-RAM2 “Our revolutionary technology
with superior properties compared to additively manufactured material is advances metals development
previously available AM materials and shown in Fig. 2, with the left-hand for Additive Manufacturing at an
corresponding wrought alloys. This image showing a crack-free unprecedented pace,” stated Dr Jacob
success in AM with new materials microstructure with a dispersion Nuechterlein, President and founder
and previously unsuitable traditional of nucleating and reinforcing of Elementum 3D. “It gives engineers
manufacturing materials is expected particulates. The right-hand image the extra degree of freedom they have
to enable the introduction of new AM shows a higher magnification view of never experienced, inspiring them to
applications. the same material etched by weck’s bring into existence new and innova-
The company’s RAM technology is reagent revealing the fine equiaxed tive applications.”
used to create additively manufactur- aluminium grain structure that www.elementum3d.com
able, high-performance alloy powders
based on established wrought alloys,
including aluminium 1000, 2024,
6061, 7050 and 7075. These popular
high-strength wrought aluminium
alloys could not previously be
additively manufactured because they
are prone to hot tearing (solidification
cracking), resulting in parts with poor
Without RAM
mechanical properties.
The RAM process forms Fig. 2 Elementum 3D’s A6061-RAM2 aluminium alloy showing a crack-free
sub-micron inoculants in the melt microstructure with the darker phase comprising reinforcing particles and the
pool that nucleate aluminium very fine (1–2 µm) aluminium grains revealed after etching with weck’s reagent
grains to produce a fine equiaxed in the higher magnification image on the right (Courtesy Elementum 3D)
microstructure for good buildability
and performance. By making AM
versions of these alloys widely
available, Elementum 3D states that it
eliminates material compromises.
An unmodified ‘standard’ 6061
aluminium alloy is shown in Fig. 1
after Additive Manufacturing and
polishing. The left-hand micrograph
shows a low-magnification image
of the polished and unetched Without RAM With RAM
growth plane with the large grain
structure and the network of Fig. 3 Left; Unmodified ‘standard’ 2024 aluminium alloy without RAM addi-
intergranular cracking clearly visible. tion exhibits columnar grain growth. Right; Elementum 3D’s A6061-RAM2
The right-hand image shows a higher aluminium alloy with RAM addition exhibits ductal behaviour (Courtesy
magnification micrograph of the same Elementum 3D)
of Velo3D. “We will continue to add

Velo3D develops process for Additive more compatible materials that
Manufacturing of Al F357 enable customers to print parts they
couldn’t before, yet with even better
Velo3D, Campbell, California, USA, traditionally only been manufactured material properties than traditional
has announced the commercial using casting practices. There are manufacturing.”
release of a manufacturing process other aluminium alloys that are The manufacturing process
for additively manufactured parts more commonly used in metal AM, was developed jointly with PWR, a
in aluminium F357 on its Sapphire® such as AlSi10Mg, but aluminium global supplier of advanced cooling
metal Additive Manufacturing F357 can be anodised and shares solutions to Formula 1, NASCAR and
system for thin-walled heat transfer characteristics with A356, a widely- other racing series, along with the
applications. used casting alloy. automotive, military and aerospace
According to the company, F357, “Aluminium F357 has already industries. Matthew Bryson, General
a foundry-grade aluminium alloy, is been certified for mission-critical Manager for PWR, commented,
suitable for the Laser Beam Powder applications – unlike some exotic “We chose aluminium F357 due to
Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) process alloys – so it was a logical addition its ideal material properties to suit
and enables the metal Additive to our materials portfolio,” explained thermal performance, machining and
Manufacturing of parts that have Benny Buller, Founder and CEO weldability.”
“Our ability to print free-form
and lightweight structures for
heat transfer applications with our
Sapphire system from Velo3D will
further enhance performance and
packaging optimization opportunities
for our product range and provide
significant value to our customers,”
he explained.
Further to this new F357 manu-
facturing process, Velo3D’s patented
SupportFree AM process eliminates
the need for support structures for
the production of complex passage-
ways, steep overhangs and low
angles. Coupled with its non-contact
recoater, the company explains that
its Additive Manufacturing process
can produce the ultra-thin wall
structures and high aspect ratios
that are essential for a variety of
Additively manufactured aluminium F357 part produced on Velo3D’s Sapphire flight-critical applications.
metal AM machine (Courtesy Velo3D) www.velo3d.com
DP Technology ESPRIT Additive for Powder

Bed Fusion is compatible with any
imported to the job environment as
many times as required.
releases powder file supported by SolidWorks and “This optimised workflow saves
bed AM software features its patented Part-to-Build™
capability. When preparing a part
our users even more time by
eliminating the need to repeatedly
DP Technology, Camarillo, California, for manufacturing, the program define the manufacturing informa-
USA, the parent company of the automatically assigns exposure tion,” stated Clement Girard, Product
ESPRIT CAM system, has enhanced strategies based on simple inputs Manager for Additive Solutions for
its support for Additive Manufacturing from the user. DP Technology. “Additive for Powder
with the release of a new software DP Technology stated that the Bed Fusion improves consistency by
package designed specifically for the new software also introduces a slicer ensuring a part is built the same way
Powder Bed Fusion market. The new with what it describes as unparal- each time and maintains traceability
software, ESPRIT Additive for Powder leled accuracy, achievable thanks to by recording each step from the
Bed, is an add-in application for CAD a parametric workflow model. Once original 3D CAD file.”
program SolidWorks®. the part is ready to slice, it may be www.espritcam.com
The Pioneer of
Selective Laser Melting
Redesigned SLM®500 - The highest, safest performance

available in its class with cost reduction
Build envelope of 500 x 280 x 365 mm

Real build rate up to 171 cm3/h
Multi-laser SLM® technology increases productivity
Focus on repeatability and machine uptime
Industry-leading gas flow for consistent quality
Fully automated powder management for safe part production
For more information on the new SLM®500 visit:

www.slm-solutions.com/en/slm500
EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT || POWDER
POWDER || SOFTWARE | | CONSULTING
SOFTWARE CONSULTING | | SERVICE
SERVICE| | WWW.SLM-SOLUTIONS.COM
WWW.SLM-SOLUTIONS.COM
Vol. 6 No. 2 © 2020 Inovar Communications Ltd Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 202057
SBI International to supply

Multistation with its metal AM
machine M3DP
SBI International, Hollabrunn, chamber offers the possibility to
Austria, and Multistation SAS, Paris, process also sensitive materials like
France, have entered into an exclusive titanium and nickel-base alloys.
partnership to deliver Plasma Arc “We are very happy that we can
metal Additive Manufacturing to introduce our new M3DP product
the French market. As part of the range to the French market, which
partnership, SBI will supply its metal is particularly dedicated for Additive SBI International will supply its M3DP
wire and arc Additive Manufacturing Manufacturing in aerospace applica- metal AM machine to Multistation
M3DP technology. tions,” stated Dr Martin Peruzzi, CEO (Courtesy SBI International)
The M3DP features a modular of SBI. “The experience of Multistation
and compact design, with a broad in the field of Additive Manufacturing
application range suited for plasma will support the introduction of our offerings in laser or electron beam
arc metal Additive Manufacturing M3DP product range into the French bed melting, supersonic or Binder
in industries such as aerospace, oil industry.” Jetting and DED (WAAM, laser wire,
& gas, marine & shipbuilding, tool Yannick Loisance, CEO of Multista- LMD). Having SBI as our partner we
making, service and maintenance tion, commented, “With the M3DP line can now offer a complete portfolio
applications. It is said to be capable of of SBI, we complete our offer of metal of solutions along the value chain of
achieving high deposition rates, which Additive Manufacturing processes metal Additive Manufacturing.”
benefits the manufacturing of large with a very powerful process, www.sbi.at
parts. Its optional gas-tight working complementary to our different www.multistation.com
ENTWURF 1 - NANOVAL METALL AM
POWDERFUL
SOLUTION
Very fine powders
Spherical powders
Flowability is high
Narrow par�cle size distribu�on
More than 1.000 alloys
30 years experience
NANOVAL GmbH & Co. KG

Kienhorststraße 61-65
13403 Berlin Germany
Tel. +49 30 - 3229022 - 0
Fax +49 30 - 3229022 - 29
Mail info@nanoval.de
www.nanoval.de
Open Mind Technologies

introduces latest update for
its hyperMill software
Open Mind Technologies AG, headquartered in Wessling,
Germany, a developer of CAD/CAM software solutions,
has released hyperMILL® 2020.2, an updated version
Simulate It
of its CAD/CAM software suite which offers users new
and enhanced features for efficient 3D and 5-axis
machining.
A key strategy in the latest hyperMILL CAM software
Before You
releases is the ADDITIVE Manufacturing process which
reportedly supports additive and subtractive machining
on one machine tool. Open Mind states that its hyperMILL
ADDITIVE Manufacturing technology offers flexible strate-
Build It.
gies for additive material applications, including filling
strategies for both planes and free-form shapes, and
in 2D and 3D sections. Applications also include hybrid
machining to fix damaged parts and additive machining of
an existing component.
“We continue to improve the hyperMILL user experi-
ence with new, optimised strategies, as well as provide
easier to use interfaces and even more efficient filtering
and feature management functions,” stated Alan Levine,
Managing Director of Open Mind Technologies USA, Inc.
“Also, enhanced functionality in our Mill-Turn, hyperCAD®
-S and AUTOMATION Center modules are all key to
continually improving the user experience and increasing
✓ Assess:
machining productivity.” o Material & process
According to the software company, a hyperMILL
AUTOMATION Center Advanced option offers numerous parameter sensitivities
additional features and extensive templates to the soft-
ware’s automation capabilities. Templates allow the user
✓ Perform:
to define and standardise complex processes independent o In-service qualification of
of the specific geometry from any one CAD model.
Components can now be modelled parametrically printed part
directly in hyperCAD® -S, especially helpful for fast, o Meltpool Engineering
production-related designs. Parametric geometry data
used in hyperMILL is associatively linked, and when there ✓ Predict:
are any changes, is automatically updated.
www.openmind-tech.com o Voids, residual stress,
surface roughness + more
✓ Reduce
o Trial & Error, Material
Waste, Engineering Time
The ‘hyperMILL® AUTOMATION Center Advanced’ as part

of the latest updated, offers comprehensive template www.alphastarcorp.com
functions (Courtesy Open Mind Technologies AG)
ASTM International debuts strategic to address the gaps,” added Mahdi

Jamshidinia, PhD, ASTM Interna-
guide to Additive Manufacturing data tional’s AM R&D Project Manager.
“The guide provides a summary of
discussions during the workshop and
ASTM International’s Additive Recent developments in digital can be used by all industry stake-
Manufacturing Center of Excellence data acquisition, analysis, model- holders and AM experts who want to
(AM CoE), Conshohocken, Penn- ling, machine learning and artificial participate in the development of an
sylvania, USA, in collaboration with intelligence, could quickly accel- AM data ecosystem and contribute to
America Makes, the USA’s national erate the AM development timeline. standardisation.”
accelerator for AM, have debuted a However, this growth has yet to be Brandon Ribic, Technology Director
strategic guide said to identify gaps, observed, stated the partners. of America Makes, stated, “The guide
challenges, solutions and action plans “A key and large gap in the highlights the importance of data
for Additive Manufacturing data. development of an AM data management and data principles
The strategic guide follows a ecosystem is how to easily and which will benefit the broader AM
workshop on AM data management securely generate, store, analyse supply chain, and will serve as a
and schema, jointly organised by and share critical and vital data,” resource to strengthen collaboration
ASTM International and America explained Mohsen Seifi, PhD, ASTM and ease the challenges common
Makes and held in Washington International’s Director of Global to AM data sharing. We are grateful
DC, USA, in December 2019. The Additive Manufacturing Programs. to all who worked on this effort and
workshop brought more than 100 “A sub-gap is the consistency of believe this guide complements the
experts from government, industry, the data that is gathered across efforts of the AMSC and America
academia together for a series of multiple groups.” Makes’ technology maturation
technical talks, panel discussions and “This strategic guide attempts to strategic objectives.”
brainstorming sessions related to address series of gaps and provide www.astm.org
data in AM. solutions and potential action plans www.americamakes.us
Additively manufactured fuel is an exciting new solution for

the nuclear industry. The simpli-
component installed in commercial fied approach helps meet the
nuclear reactor industry’s need for a wide variety
of low-volume, highly-critical plant
components. We are proud to have
A thimble plugging device produced provide access to components that Westinghouse as a partner on this
by metal Additive Manufacturing may not be available using traditional industry milestone and to help
was successfully installed in Exelon manufacturing methods.” further demonstrate the viability of
Generation’s Byron Unit 1 nuclear Ken Petersen, Exelon Genera- this technology.”
plant during its spring refuelling tion’s Vice President of nuclear fuels, www.westinghousenuclear.com
outage, according to Westinghouse commented, “Additive Manufacturing www.exeloncorp.com
Electric Company LLC, Cranberry
Township, Pennsylvania, USA, a
supplier of nuclear power plant
products. The installation is
believed to be a first for the nuclear
industry.
Ken Canavan, Westinghouse’s
Chief Technology Officer, stated,
“Westinghouse continues to lead
the way with the development of
the most advanced technologies
to help the world meet growing
electricity demand with safe, clean
and reliable energy. Our Additive
Manufacturing programme offers
customers enhanced component
designs that help increase perfor- The metal additively manufactured fuel component has been installed in a
mance and reduce costs, as well as nuclear reactor (Courtesy Westinghouse Electric Company LLC)
NanoAL’s Addalloy aluminium powder Because Addalloy alloys, unlike

some other next-generation
wins gold 2020 Edison Award aluminium powders on the market,
are designed without expensive rare
NanoAL, LLC, Boston, Massachu- “This award confirms the earth elements or complicated powder
setts, USA, recently won a Gold industry-wide need for NanoAL’s blends, they are reported to be both
Edison Award for 3-D Printing customer-centric approach when cost-effective and easy to use.
Enhancements for its proprietary designing alloys for Additive NanoAL is currently in the process
Addalloy® Aluminum Powders. Manufacturing. We fully utilise the of commercialising the Addalloy
NanoAL is a subsidiary of Braidy process advantages of Additive family of alloys. The current product
Industries and serves as its research Manufacturing without forgetting line includes Addalloy 5T for struc-
and development division, developing that customers need solutions tural components, Addalloy 7S for
new aluminium alloys; the Addalloy that are cost-effective and easy to ultra-strong lightweighting applica-
family of high-strength aluminium implement,” stated Dr Nhon Vo, tions, and Addalloy HX for thermal
alloy powders is specifically designed NanoAL CEO. management.
and developed for metal Additive The composition of alloys Frank Bonafilia, Executive Director
Manufacturing. within the Addalloy family takes of the Edison Awards, commented
The Edison Awards have been advantage of the atomisation and on the Gold Award, “After a thorough
recognising and honouring the best in Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion review, the Edison Awards Judges
innovation and innovators worldwide (PBF-LB) processes to create recognise NanoAL Addalloy Powder as
since 1987. Addalloy Aluminum advanced microstructures with a game-changing innovation standing
Powder was chosen as the 2020 Gold non-traditional strengthening out among the best new products and
Award winner by an international mechanisms said to greatly services launched in their category.”
panel of over 3,000 leading business enhance the performance of metal www.nanoal.com
executives. AM components. www.edisonawards.com
Digital Metal launches software upgrade component quality. The new software
is now standard on all new units,
said to triple its AM build speeds and upgrade kits are available for
installed machines.
Digital Metal, part of Sweden’s triples the build speed of its DM According to, Digital Metal, its
Höganäs Group and a developer of P2500 machines. The upgrade new DM P2500 metal binder jetting
metal binder jet Additive Manufac- reportedly enables significantly machine has been made to be as
turing machines, has launched a larger production volume per accurate as possible, with all moving
new software upgrade which it states time unit while maintaining high parts having an accuracy down
to single microns, said to enable
excellent repeatability in serial
production. In addition, a 160 mm
thick custom-made diabase stone
is now incorporated to heighten
stability and ensure no vibrations
affect the Additive Manufacturing
process.
“We constantly work to improve
the performance of our printers
so that our customers can work
as cost-effectively as possible,”
stated Alexander Sakratidis, Sales
& Marketing Manager at Digital
Metal. “This important upgrade
makes it possible to reach even
greater production volumes without
sacrificing component quality. We
plan to continue introducing similar
Digital Metal has launched a software upgrade said to triple the Additive significant upgrades twice a year.”
Manufacturing speed of its DM P2500 machine (Courtesy Digital Metal) www.digitalmetal.tech
“Gefertec’s proprietary 3DMP

Kingsbury becomes exclusive technology, which is a CAD to
supplier of Gefertec’s WAAM layer-by-layer arc welding process on
a machine platform controlled by the
machines in the UK, Ireland and Gulf familiar Siemens 840D CNC, trans-
forms our offering to customers,” he
Kingsbury, a supplier of metal tive machining, 3DMP® is believed to be concluded.
cutting systems to the UK and Irish an economic and efficient AM method, Tobias Röhrich, CEO of Gefertec,
manufacturing industry, based in with possible savings in production commented, “With more than sixty
Gosport, Hampshire, UK, has signed costs of up to 60%. years of experience in the relevant
a distribution contract with Gefertec Richard Kingsbury, Managing markets and industries, Kingsbury is
GmbH, Berlin, Germany, to become Director of Kingsbury, stated, a perfect partner for us. We share with
the exclusive supplier of its Wire “Gefertec’s metal AM technology fits them the same vision of a long-term
Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) perfectly with our existing French cooperation and of offering our
machines in the UK, Ireland and the agency lines of AddUp Laser Beam customers more than just hardware
Gulf. Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) but efficient production solutions for
Gefertec’s 3DMP® technology is machines and production lines, and quantities down to a batch size of
based on modern arc welding and direct energy deposition equipment one.”
CAD for metal part production. The from its BeAM subsidiary. There are Röhrich added, “With Kingsbury’s
company’s software uses CAD data tremendous advantages with WAAM. expertise and passion for manufac-
and converts it into individual digital Chief amongst these is that standard turing, we will make the benefits of
build ‘layers’ before the blank part MIG/MAG welding wire is used as the our award-winning 3DMP technology
is additively manufactured, followed raw feedstock to create parts rapidly a success for customers in the UK,
by a 3D scan for quality control and within a large build envelope. Such wire Ireland and the Gulf.”
subsequent milling to net shape. In is relatively inexpensive and readily www.kingsburyuk.com
comparison to conventional subtrac- available in a wide range of metals.” www.gefertec.de
Dunlee increases output of additively

manufactured tungsten anti-scatter
grids for CT systems
Dunlee, a distributor of products, monitor severe COVID-19 cases,
solutions and services for the making it an important component of
third-party imaging business, COVID-19 diagnosis and assessment.
headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, The pure tungsten anti-scatter grids, Dunlee’s AM facility (Courtesy Dunlee)
reports that it is increasing its which are manufactured in Best, the
output of additively manufactured Netherlands, absorb unwanted scatter Components, Dunlee. “We are
tungsten anti-scatter grids used in radiation to improve the quality of fortunate that we can count on quick
CT systems, to support patient access CT images. Within Cone Beam CT, response from the EOS maintenance
during the coronavirus (COVID-19) Dunlee’s 2D anti-scatter grids are and service team to keep our machines
pandemic. said to provide an improvement in running 24/7.”
Dunlee is a brand of the Philips signal-to-noise ratio up to a factor of Dunlee states that it is also hiring
Company Group and specialises 1.7 compared to previous solutions. more operators and engineers, and
in medical imaging components “As a result of the COVID-19 has re-prioritised projects so it can
including CT, MR and X-ray solutions pandemic, we are in operation around provide anti-scatter grids as quickly as
for OEMs, CT replacement tubes and the clock, so we are working closely possible to CT system manufacturers.
additively manufactured tungsten with our long-term partner EOS Laheij added, “While the pandemic
products. to obtain new printers while also is impacting our lives and our way of
The company explains that CT fine-tuning our existing printers to working, our customers remain the
examinations are used to assess increase output,” stated Jan Laheij, focus of everything we do.”
respiratory conditions as well as Global Head of Commerce – Imaging www.dunlee.com
Metal AM enables
NZ Defence
Force veteran to
compete in Invictus
Games
Zenith Tecnica, Auckland, New
Zealand, recently used GE Additive
Arcam EBM technology to produce
a titanium part that will enable
New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)
veteran, Stevin Creeggan, to compete
in the cycling events at the 2021 The titanium additively manufactured spacer and cleat in position on Creeg-
Invictus Games. The part, a titanium gan’s bike (Courtesy Zenith Tecnica)
spacer, compensates for a difference
in the length of Creeggan’s legs by
raising the surface height of one The team initially designed and allowed us to get the most out of the
bicycle pedal. additively manufactured a test run additive technology.”
Creeggan was sole survivor of a of carbon fibre prototypes, working Zenith Tecnica primarily delivers
helicopter crash in 2010 which left with Creeggan to perfect the design. parts for the aerospace, motorsports,
him with multiple injuries, including “With GE’s additive technology, using marine and medical sectors, and so
self-fused vertebrae in his neck and titanium we were able to reduce the the production of the bicycle spacer
lower back, and severe damage to his weight to 50 g which was just great for and cleat was a new challenge. “Our
right leg, which was reconstructed Stev and the design is specific to his GE Additive EBM machines are certi-
with plates, screws and rods to shoe,” Campbell continued. fied to 3D print titanium aerospace
hold his femur and lower femur Zenith Tecnica was contracted to and medical parts,” explained Sefont.
together – leaving it shorter than make the final piece in titanium using “We make quite a few customised
his left leg by 2.5 cm. Maintaining GE Additive Arcam EBM Q10plus patient-specific implants and
his fitness became a challenge after machine, which uses Electron prosthetics, as mass customisation is
his accident, leading him to take Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) one of the key benefits to 3D printing,
up cycling and later put his name technology. The company’s Technical but the pedal spacer and cleat is not
forward to complete in The Invictus Manager, Peter Sefont, stated that the something we have manufactured
Games. The games were founded in design was highly effective, noting, before so it was great to be a part of
2014 by Prince Harry for current and “we only had to suggest a few small it,” he stated.
former armed service personnel who tweaks to get to the final design and it www.zenithtecnica.com
have been wounded or injured. Next
year, Creeggan will compete in the
archery, wheelchair basketball, and
cycling events.
Ewan Conaghan and Martin
Campbell, New Zealand Defence
Force mechanical engineers, took
on the project. While Campbell
stated that he has a long history with
bicycles and “jumped at the chance”
to produce the spacer, Conaghan
noted that the design brief was out of
the ordinary for a design engineering
team more accustomed to designing
parts for military vehicles.
“We are mechanical engineers, but
people will knock on our door with all
sorts of ideas,” he stated. “As soon
as we saw David’s request, we knew
immediately that 3D printing was the Martin Campbell and Ewan Conaghan, NZDF engineers, with a printed
way to go.” prototype (Courtesy Zenith Tecnica)
Amaero adds AmPro SP500 and SP100 ideal for R&D, academia, teaching,
and low volume production. It has
machines at new USA facility a smaller Laser Beam Powder Bed
Fusion (PBF-LB) platform with a build
Amaero International Limited, head- The AmPro SP500 is said to be envelope of 100 mm diameter and 80
quartered in Notting Hill, Victoria, particularly suited to the Additive mm in build height.
Australia, has commissioned its first Manufacturing of steel tooling “I was particularly impressed by
AmPro SP500 and SP100 machines and has a build area of 500 x 250 x the safety, efficiency, and capital costs
at its new facility in El Segundo, 250 mm with minimal factory floor of the machines and look forward to
California, USA. Amaero is reported impact compared to traditional putting them to use,” commented
to have exclusive distribution rights machine tool options. The machine Shawn Zindroski, General Manager of
for the sale of AmPro machines in features removable build cartridges, US operations, Amaero International
North America, and is now offering enabling fast build changeovers. Limited. “The SP100 technology
the SP500 and SP100, as well as their The AmPro SP100 is reportedly gives us the ability to test, validate,
ancillaries. simple to use, easy to maintain, and and develop our internal parameters
set for our existing powder alloys.
Importantly, as the metal powder
market continues to evolve we will
have a platform to test new alloys
easily to scale for our customer
production runs.”
Barrie Finnin, CEO, Amaero
International Limited, stated, “This
is a significant milestone in our
company’s overall growth strategy as
we are now able to really accelerate
our sales strategy. Having the AmPro
SP500 and SP100 operational for the
first time marked the start of our
machine sales in the United States.
“Machine sales form an important
part of our business plan and strategy
and through our exclusive distribution
rights for the AmPro machines in
the United States we are now able
to offer the SP500, SP100, and their
ancillaries for sale as of today.”
Amaero installed its first AmPro SP500 and SP100 machines at its new facility www.amaero.com.au
in El Segundo, California, USA (Courtesy Amaero) www.amprogroup.com.au
levels of oxygen and moisture ensures

Optomec expands capabilities with the achievement of components with
aluminium AM using LENS DED superior mechanical properties.
David Otazu, LENS Applications
Engineer at Optomec, commented,
Optomec, headquartered in This development helps open up the “Our engineers have developed
Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, transportation and aerospace indus- process parameters for aluminium
has announced an advancement tries to Additive Manufacturing and the alloys to provide an excellent surface
in capability for its LENS Directed repair of complex aluminium alloy parts finish, high deposition rates and a
Energy Deposition (DED) Additive using powder-based DED. Additionally, density of ~99.9%.”
Manufacturing machines and the the use of Optomec’s LENS simulta- With this advancement, the
repair of aluminium alloys. The neous 5-axis system is said to enable company believes that its Optomec
advancement reportedly enables the processing of aluminium alloy LENS systems can now successfully
LENS DED machines to be used to parts with complex geometries without process all common materials used
deposit any aluminium alloy, including the need for support structures. The for Additive Manufacturing, which as
those developed specifically for company explains that the deposition well as aluminium include steels,
their improved properties for AM of aluminium alloys in a controlled titanium, nickel and copper.
processing. atmosphere glove-box with very low www.optomec.com
Our Laboratory is available for third party analyses, both for

powder customers and also for any other application and industry.
mimete.com/lab-offer
Chiron develops first AM machine The AM Cube system can reportedly

be reconfigured from 4-axis to 5-axis
machining with relatively little effort. It
The Chiron Group, Tuttlingen, during an active Additive Manufac- is equipped with cutting-edge sensors
Germany, a specialist in the field turing/coating process. This option and is said to meet all relevant
of CNC-controlled vertical milling enables the AM Cube to be used to safety requirements for operation
and turning machining centres, has combine different process require- without operator monitoring. Chiron
developed its first Additive Manu- ments; for example, one deposition explains that where the AM Cube is
facturing machine, the AM Cube, for head could be used to achieve a high used to machine particularly reactive
the production of large and complex surface quality, and another could materials such as titanium, the entire
components. be used to achieve a high deposition system can be flooded with protective
According to the group, the AM rate. The automatic head change gas to reduce oxidation, enabling
Cube is based on a conventional function enables these properties to manufacturing to be performed under
cartesian coordinate system, similar be combined in a single workpiece. a protective gas atmosphere for
to a CNC machining centre. The The AM Cube is equipped with several hours.
system is programmed using either a total of three deposition heads, Chiron introduced the AM Cube to
a standardised DIN ISO code or, for and both wire and powder can be the public during a virtual Open House,
complex components, using a CAD/ applied as deposition materials within held online from May 14–15, 2020,
CAM software tool. All aspects of the a single manufacturing process due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).
system can be controlled using tried- in different production phases. By During the digital event, Axel Boi, the
and-tested Siemens components, designing an AM machine for the two company’s Head of AM, presented
from hardware to the HMI through to commonly used deposition materials the AM Cube in detail, and external
programming of the AM Cube. – wire and powder – the group states ‘visitors’ numbering around 1,000 were
Chiron explains that the deposition that it has also patented a “completely given the chance to learn more about
head of the AM Cube can be changed new technology.” the company’s AM developments.
“The Additive Manufacturing
department is a start-up within our
own business group,” stated Axel
Boi, Head of Additive Manufacturing
at the Chiron Group. “With this 3D
metal printer, made by Chiron, we are
creating a facility for manufacturing
larger components with long procure-
ment times and high material prices.
This technology can be used effectively
in the mechanical engineering, tool
manufacturing, energy production
and aerospace sectors. These are all
important target sectors for the Chiron
Group.”
The AM Cube offers both powder and wire AM options (Courtesy Chiron) www.chiron-group.com
and integrated heated build plate

Open Additive awarded contract to with 600 mm x 600 mm build area,
develop multi-laser AM technology all configured within a versatile form
factor.
Open Additive, LLC, Beavercreek, independent research to develop The contract was awarded in
Ohio, USA, has been awarded a open-architecture Laser Beam February of this year, completing
$2.94 million Air Force Commercial Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) its first technical review this April.
Readiness Program (CRP) contract systems with advanced processing Dr Thomas Spears, Open Additive’s
to advance its metal Additive and in-situ monitoring capabilities. Chief Scientist, serves as the project’s
Manufacturing technology and According to the company, the Principal Investigator, having joined
product line to industrial scale. programme seeks to develop and the team in September 2019 after
The ‘Open Systems Platform for demonstrate a prototype quad-laser spending six years at GE Aviation and
Multi-Laser Additive Manufacturing’ PBF-LB platform with full user GE Additive, where he led technology
contract reportedly builds on the control of standard and advanced and product development in metal
company’s Small Business Innovative processing parameters, multi-sensor Additive Manufacturing.
Research (SBIR) portfolio and monitoring and feedback control, www.openadditive.com
Together
we lead the
Additive
Manufacturing
Revolution
www.materials-solutions.com
Sintavia achieves Nadcap accreditation

for heat treatment
Sintavia, LLC, Hollywood, Florida, and chemical processing through
USA, has achieved National its wholly-owned subsidiary, QC
Aerospace and Defense Contractors Laboratories, Inc.
Accreditation Program (Nadcap) The company states that it also
approval for heat treatment at both plans to pursue Nadcap approval
its Hollywood, Florida, and Davie, for its in-house metallurgical and
Florida, locations. It is reportedly mechanical testing laboratory,
the only company in the world with located in Davie, Florida, which is
Nadcap approvals for laser and already ISO 17025-certified. Sintavia achieves Nadcap approval for
electron beam Additive Manufac- “Since its founding, Sintavia has heat treatment at both its Hollywood,
turing, as well as in-house heat always defined itself as the quality Florida, USA, and Davie, Florida, USA,
treatment. leader for aerospace & defence locations (Courtesy Sintavia, LLC)
The Nadcap accreditation for Additive Manufacturing,” states
heat treatment includes nickel Brian Neff, Sintavia’s Chief Executive
and aluminium alloys, and the Officer. quickly to its customers. Moreover,
initial approval is good through “Nadcap approval for our internal we are proud of the fact that we are
July 31, 2021. In addition to Nadcap heat treatment capabilities is not the first manufacturer anywhere in
approvals for heat treatment and only a continuation of this focus, but the world to achieve these quality
AM, Sintavia also holds Nadcap also will allow Sintavia to provide accreditations.”
approvals for non-destructive testing higher quality production parts more www.sintavia.com
DoE grants $28 million funding for R&D test environment or with coatings, with
turbine inlet temperatures of 1,800°C
on ultra-high temperature materials or higher.
“Gas turbines are a major
The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) in these sectors as well as across a generator of electricity, and have
has announced up to $28 million in range of other sectors. significantly contributed to the cleaner
funding for a new Advanced Research The ULTIMATE programme aims to generation of electricity over the
Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) improve the efficiency of gas turbines past several years,” stated Mark W
programme called ULtrahigh by increasing the temperature Menezes, Under Secretary of Energy.
Temperature Impervious Materials capability of the materials used in the “Developing new, innovative technolo-
Advancing Turbine Efficiency most demanding environments, such gies under the ULTIMATE programme
(ULTIMATE), reports the Metal Powder as the turbine blade. The temperature will allow us to better utilise gas
Industries Federation (MPIF). The capability of current state-of-the-art turbines across multiple power
programme will reportedly develop blade materials has improved steadily sectors, from electricity generation to
and demonstrate ultra-high tempera- over the last few decades to 1,100°C, transportation and aviation, making all
ture materials that can operate in the through incremental microstructure of these industries more efficient.”
high-temperature and high-stress and chemistry refinement. Lane Genatowski, ARPA-E Director,
environments of a gas turbine blade. However, there exists a new commented, “The development
Projects will specifically target gas opportunity to discover, develop, and of novel ultra-high temperature
turbine applications in the power implement novel materials that work alloys in conjunction with coatings
generation and aviation industries. at temperatures significantly higher and advanced manufacturing will
According to the DoE, gas turbines than industry standard superalloys, help to increase the efficiency of
are used for a variety of applications, to further increase efficiency and our nation’s power generation and
from aerospace engines to industrial economic gains. aviation industries. Enabling turbines
power generation, and natural ULTIMATE projects will address to operate at higher temperatures
gas turbines currently produce an this need by developing novel ultra- for longer sustained periods will
estimated 35% of the electricity high temperature metal alloys and result in significant reductions of both
generated across the USA. Improving coatings integrated with advanced wasted energy and carbon emissions
turbine efficiency is expected to manufacturing processes. The ULTI- across many crucial power generation
create opportunities to generate MATE programme will target enabling applications.”
more energy savings, lower carbon gas turbines blades to operate www.energy.gov
emissions, and benefit the economy continuously at 1,300°C in a material www.arpa-e.energy.gov
Autodesk launches Netfabb 2021 with

improved support for metal AM
Autodesk, San Rafael, California, USA, Ultimate), which simulates metal PBF
has revealed the latest release of its technology to identify and remediate
Netfabb® Additive Manufacturing soft- common build failures, including
ware. The new release, Netfabb 2021, distortion, recoater blade interference,
offers a number of new features, hotspots, lack of fusion zones and
including improved build controls and support structure failure. With the
greater support for metal Powder Bed 2021 version, Autodesk stated that
Fusion (PBF) and Directed Energy it has relaxed the limits significantly
Smoke simulation of slice data in
Deposition (DED).The use of new 3D to enable this utility to simulate even
Netfabb 2021 (Courtesy Autodesk)
packing methods in Netfabb 2021 has more complex geometries.
reportedly been made possible with Two new features have been added
two new algorithms, which increase to Netfabb 2021’s Simulation Utility to remove them. Users can also
packing density for processes that which are said to offer enhanced automatically create bar supports that
don’t require support structures, such process simulation for metal PBF recognise thin walls and generate
as Binder Jetting (BJT). processes. Validated parameter files a single path of bars, overriding the
Using these new 3D packing for Inconel 718 have been added, global contour offset to wall setting.
methods, a size sorting algorithm with machine vendor defaults for the The Custom Part Library in
prioritises large parts for the centre EOS M290 and the Additive Industries Netfabb 2021 can now be populated
of the build platform while filling MetalFAB1 machines, to enable the with a user’s own designs, offering
the remaining volume with smaller generation of accurate simulations quick access to the most often-used
objects, while a gravity algorithm without the need to generate new parts such as custom test specimens
uses a physics-based engine to parameter files. used to fill up build platforms, and
simulate gravity and packs parts In addition, the ability to offset common objects such as giveaway
more closely. Netfabb 2021 also offers the geometry preform in the new parts.
advanced toolpath features. New release is expected to enable users to Parts can also be duplicated easily
hexagonal hatch patterns are said compensate for predicted distortion with a newly redesigned rectangular
to help balance thermal input and in a DED simulation and mitigate pattern dialogue, and build volumes
build quality, and smoke simulation distortion in DED parts. can be filled with selected parts and
of slice data from SLM Solutions and The new release also offers slices simultaneously, minimising
Renishaw helps identify areas where improved AM machine integrations guesswork and task repetition. All
the smoke plume may interfere with and the ability to quickly establish parts inside or outside the platform
the laser path, causing deflections build setting customisations, and can be automatically selected, making
that jeopardise build quality. The create, save and load build profiles for it easier to move them to a different
new release allows users to control a given material directly from Netfabb. platform or delete them entirely.
toolpath vectors based on an external A number of new features and func- The new release is said to make
input, such as process simulation tions have been added to improve user it possible to automate common
results. experience. For example, users can workflows. A new scripting example
Increased mesh limits have been now clone supports between similar allows users to compare two similar
made possible using simulation parts, and taper supports to minimise meshes automatically, and helps to
Utility LT (included with Netfabb their footprint and the effort required identify differences using colours and
graphs.
In addition, automatic support
separation is said to allow users to
separate open and solid supports
into two parts with one click, giving
increased control over objects when
assigning toolpath parameters. The
ability to clone any workspace is
expected to allow for faster duplica-
tion of a build platfrom, making it
possible to experiment with different
packing, slicing or toolpathing
Autodesk’s Netfabb 2021 offers improved simulation support for metal PBF strategies easily.
(Courtesy Autodesk) www.autodesk.com
MTI
Specialized in AM metal materials
Ti Based
Ni Based Fe Based
Powder
Type
Customized
Co Based
HIP
Materials
SLM
R&D
Application Metal 3D
Printer
MIM
EBM
PVD
DEB BJ
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT
MTI: (MTI is a Yuean group company)

Materials Technology Innovations Co., Ltd.
info@mt-innov.com
Tel: +86 Ltd
Vol. 6 No. 2 © 2020 Inovar Communications (0)20 3104 0619 www.mt-innov.com
Haute Fabrication to build ‘world’s

largest’ PBF-LB AM machine
Haute Fabrication, a start-up which would otherwise require a large
located in Fort Dodge, Iowa, USA, fleet of competitors’ equipment.
reports it is launching as an The HDLS 250 – Minotaur has
independent supply chain provider a targeted build area of 600 mm
and intends to utilise fabrication x 600 mm x 1000 mm, all of the
technology, automation, artificial advanced features of the larger
intelligence, and cross-reality machines, and aims to lower machine
integration, with a focus on lowering costs by 30–50%. In part, this cost
the cost of creation and provide a reduction will be achieved by removing
sustainable global supply chain. The the need for expensive, proprietary,
company is reported to be bringing vendor-locked materials.
its patent-pending technology to a The largest AM machine planned
worldwide audience as it enters into by Haute Fabrication will be capable
the global value-added manufac- of creating objects up to 27 m2 in
turing market. size, said to be fifty-two times larger
The start-up explains that high- than can be produced by any existing
quality conventional manufacturing PBF-LB machine. The high-temper-
techniques are faced with prohibitive ature autoclave enables annealing
difficulties such as minimum order process temperature stability in order
sizes, material waste, structural to provide thermal processing, prevent
flaws and inconsistencies. Other stress cracking, voids, micro-fractures
Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion and other temperature-based flaws,
(PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing enabling the highest quality and most
machines are also hampered in durable fabricated products available.
numerous ways, explains Haute By integrating the company’s
Fabrication, such as by limited build PBF-LB technology with automation
size, limited mass manufacturing and VR programming for robotics
capability, thermal stress cracking, engineering, Haute Fabrication is
and additional thermal processing able to bring its value proposition on
follow-up being required. the basics of manufacturing down to
Haute Fabrication plans to material costs and energy utilisation
leverage its mass- manufacturing and remove direct manual labour
capability to launch a series of costs from the equation.
new PBF-LB AM machines which The start-up states that its primary
it believes may be the key to goal is to leverage the competitive
providing a reliable solution to these advantage created by its automated
problems, starting with the HDLS technology suite and robotisation to
250 – Minotaur, a hybrid PBF-LB provide cost-effective and worry-free
machine for customers such as on-demand contract fabrication for
creators, machine shops and labs. prototyping, small run and mass-
According to Haute Fabrica- manufacturing, while reducing the
tion, the cornerstone of its new need to purchase expensive machines
technology suite is its development and employ highly specialised support
of a series of what are said to staff.
be the world’s largest artificial By using distributed on-demand
intelligence-controlled ‘Fully hybrid Additive mass-Manufacturing
Automated Very Large Format and conventional mass-manufacturing
Direct Metal Laser Sintering’ AM techniques, customers are not tied to
machines, with built-in high-temp a set production size or quantity. This
auto-clave. These large AM is expected to allow inventors, artists,
machines and robotic processes entrepreneurs and large companies to
would reportedly be capable of innovate and compete more effectively
making a single piece or thousands in today’s global market.
of pieces of on-demand objects www.hautefabrication.com
Farsoon and Siemens accelerate

software integration for industrial AM
China’s Farsoon Technologies, Siemens NX software integrates
Changsha, and Siemens China, key functions including design,
Beijing, have announced that the topology optimisation, CAE verifica-
first Farsoon Additive Manufacturing tion, process simulation, build
machine installed with Siemens NX evaluation and scan-path planning.
software has now started beta-testing With clear focus on industrial AM
at a customer site. and ‘Open for industry’ philosophy,
After establishing a framework Farsoon is reported to have
for integrated industrial solutions established an increasing industrial An aluminium gearbox mount from a
for Additive Manufacturing last customer base amongst aerospace, Siemens sponsored Formula Racing
September during the 21st China automotive, tooling, and large- car was the first collaboration. The
International Industry Fair (CIIF), scale manufacturing users. part is designed by Siemens NX
Siemens and Farsoon’s R&D teams Hope Hou, General Manager of software and fabricated on a Farsoon
have been working to push the Farsoon Technologies, announced FS301M (Courtesy Farsoon)
technology integration. the first hardware integration
The goal of this collaboration during his presentation at the
was the implementation of Siemens’ Siemens booth during Formnext sintering system FS301M, offering
end-to-end software and ‘Digital Twin’ 2019. “The industrial control high-quality AM solutions to
solutions on all Farsoon metal and components from Siemens Digital industrial users,” stated Hou.
plastic open platform industrial AM Factory Solution have been applied https://new.siemens.com
systems. to Farsoon’s latest metal laser http://en.farsoon.com
Continuous high temperature pusher furnaces

for high volume 3D printed metal parts
The furnaces have both debind and sinter capabilities
www.cmfurnaces.com info@cmfurnaces.com 103 Dewey Street Bloomfield, NJ 07003-4237 | Tel: 973-338-6500 | Fax: 973-338-1625
H.C. Starck Tantalum & Niobium These advantages are also critical
when it comes to big data, a topic
changes name to Taniobis which has become increasingly
relevant since the rapid rise of global
As of July 1, 2020, H.C. Starck For processing data using high- wireless data access has made
Tantalum & Niobium has announced performance processors, an ultrathin high-speed data processing even
that it is operating under the Taniobis layer containing tantalum ensures more crucial. It also takes on special
brand name. Taniobis will continue ongoing disruption-free operation. importance in light of the growing
to offer a wide range of materials, Taniobis also processes tantalum trend toward assisted driving and even
powders, and alloys based on for tantalum electrolytic capaci- autonomous driving.
tantalum and niobium. tors. These items are essential to Additive Manufacturing is another
Taniobis uses these rare ores advanced microelectronics, as they important area of application. Taniobis
and refractory metals to produce have extremely high energy density. is a leader in the development of
high-performance powders on an This makes it possible to design biocompatible alloys for the production
individual basis for its customers. ultra-small components with high of patient-specific implants made
These materials are important in a conductivity, which is important in the using AM. The Taniobis development
range if industries, including automo- IoT segment in particular. That makes known as AMtrinsic is of particular
tive, energy, aviation, electronics, the them interesting for the connected interest in this context; these
chemical industry and the medical driving and connected cars segment pre-alloyed high-performance powders
technology industry. as well. Capacitor powders form the were developed specifically for AM.
The supply and development of Ta basis for mobile and security-related Thanks to the unique intrinsic
and Nb materials also supports global applications in connected cars. properties of tantalum and niobium,
trends in areas including the Internet In the IoT context, a thin layer such as high melting points, high
of Things (IoT), big data, smart cities, based on tantalum is essential when resistance to corrosion, extremely
and connectivity, where current it comes to making copper an option high resistance to chemicals, and high
developments are heavily dependent as a conductor material for high- thermal and electrical conductivity,
on tantalum and niobium. speed processors. Without this layer, Ta and Nb and alloys containing these
For example, in data communica- Cu ions would destroy the processors’ elements are suitable for a wide range
tion, the goal is to filter and set semiconducting properties. The of high-tech applications in fields such
transmission frequencies on an exact tantalum layers are not only neces- as the chemical industry, the energy
basis: this takes place via surface sary for logical data chips; they are segment, in superconductors and in
acoustic wave (SAW) filters based on also needed for storage chips such as high-temperature environments.
niobium oxide and tantalum oxide. flash memory and SSDs. www.taniobis.com
Protolabs UK adds cobalt chrome to

its AM materials offering
Protolabs UK, Telford, Shropshire, Cobalt chrome can reportedly
has added cobalt chrome to its withstand temperatures of up to
materials offering for metal Additive 600°C, and its low nickel content
Manufacturing. Cobalt chrome has gives it excellent biocompatibility,
a high strength-to-weight ratio, is making it ideal for orthopaedic and
resistant to heat, wear and corrosion, dental applications. Using Laser
and has applications in multiple Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Cobalt chrome parts produced by
sectors including aerospace, oil & gas Additive Manufacturing, Protolabs Protolabs UK, with a resolution of
and medical. UK states that it can produce very 20 µm (Courtesy Protolabs UK)
Andrea Landoni, 3D Printing fine resolution parts, down to a
Product Manager for Protolabs, minimum feature size and wall
stated, “Cobalt chrome is one of the thickness of 1 mm. produced by DMLS [PBF-LB] are
toughest materials known and can Landoni added, “One of the also equal to or better than those of
be polished to an extremely smooth problems of cobalt chrome is that wrought materials and the process is
surface. The advantage of 3D printing it is so hard wearing that it is very ideal when the geometry or structure
is that we can produce any shape that difficult to produce parts from it of a part is simply not possible using
you want, whether it is for an unusual using other processes such as CNC any other process.”
geometry or to save weight.” machining. The properties of parts www.protolabs.co.uk
U.S. Metal Powders, Inc.

A M PA L | P O U D R E S H E R M I L L O N
Advanced Engineered Aluminum Powders

Shaping the Future Together
United States Metal Powders, Inc. has been a global leader in the production
and distribution of metal powders since 1918. Together with our partners and
subsidiary companies, AMPAL and POUDRES HERMILLON, we are helping to shape
the future of the additive manufacturing industry (AM).
Dedicated Research, Leading Edge Technology, Global Production & Customization

• Aluminum alloy powders • Specialist distributor of carbonyl iron
• Nodular and spherical aluminum powders and stainless steel powders
• Aluminum based premix powders
Tel: +1-908-782-5454 (x215)

Email: sales@usmetalpowders.com
Vol. 6 No. 2 © 2020 Inovar Communications Ltd
www.usmetalpowders.com
USMP
A M PA L | P O U D R E S H E R M I L L O N
Wayland Additive’s NeuBeam process to of which are not compatible with

traditional PBF-EB or PBF-LB
open up further industrial applications processes such as refractory metals
and highly reflective alloys.
Wayland Additive, Huddersfield, UK, NeuBeam offers a new way, a third NeuBeam also offers built-in
has announced the development of way,” stated Richardson. real-time in-process monitoring,
a new metal Additive Manufacturing Although PBF-EB and NeuBeam allowing for rapid material develop-
method it calls the NeuBeam® are both PBF processes, using an ment or tuning of microstructures
process. Said to be an entirely new electron beam as the heat source by adapting the solidification during
Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) process, to melt the metal powder, it is manufacture. With NeuBeam
it is claimed that NeuBeam offers stated that PBF-EB and NeuBeam the process temperature is not
the best of both laser and electron are fundamentally different. Unlike constrained by sintering the
beam PBF systems, opening up the traditional PBF-EB process, powder bed, allowing the process
Additive Manufacturing to a wider the charging issues that can make temperature to be optimised to the
range of industrial applications. PBF-EB unstable have been fully material microstructure and/or the
Will Richardson, CEO of Wayland, neutralised with NeuBeam using application.
explained that the new technique core physics principles developed The level of in-process moni-
is an electron beam process that in the demanding semi-conductor toring is achieved through a combi-
effectively neutralises the charge industry. Moreover, NeuBeam is a nation of advanced technologies,
accumulation generated by the hot part process rather than a hot including structured light scanning,
electron beam. This offers greater bed process. This efficiently creates electron imaging and high speed
flexibility than PBF-LB while parts that are free of residual infra-red cameras. Each of these
overcoming any stability issues stresses because the high tempera- different monitoring approaches
associated with PBF-EB. In addition, tures are only applied to the part and are calibrated to the same refer-
this means that the NeuBeam not the bed, ensuring free-flowing ence points in the machine, with
process enables metallurgical powder post-build (no sinter cake) managed adjustments, to ensure
requirements to be tailored to and stress-free parts with reduced optimum results and output. Being
application requirements rather energy consumption. a true thermal process, everything
than to maintain the print process Furthermore, the process is in the build chamber is able to be
within the narrow bounds permitted reported to overcome many of the monitored, and it is possible to see
by the process. limitations for additively manu- the true temperature of the whole
“At Wayland Additive, we have facturing large components – no powder bed in-process as a build
been working on the development residual thermal stresses, no gas takes place. The thermal history of
of an entirely new PBF process for cross-flow, and a much simplified the material being processed can
metal Additive Manufacturing that powder removal process than also be seen, as can the topography
minimises the existing limitations existing eBeam systems. of the surface so that defects can
that current users have to work The NeuBeam process is capable be detected, and reported, as they
around. When considering the of producing fully dense parts in occur.
existing two PBF technologies, a wide range of materials, many www.waylandadditive.com
An impeller part produced using the NeuBeam process In process view of the NeuBeam process, producing
with no post-processing (Courtesy Wayland Additive) impeller part (Courtesy Wayland Additive)
test,
analyze,
characterize
Validating Powders, Feedstock & Products
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Trust | Technology | Turnaround

4450 Cranwood Parkway, Cleveland, OH 44128 ASME NQA-1
COMPLIANT
877.560.3875 | ISO/IEC 17025
MPP Ltd PyroGenesis’ QMS approved by major

PM Solutions by Design
aerospace company
PyroGenesis Canada Inc., has At the time, Massimo Dattilo, vice
announced that its Quality Manage- president of PyroGenesis Additive
ment System (QMS) for the produc- Additive Manufacturing
noted that, “a limiting factor in
MPP Ltd manufactures
tion of metal powders for the Additive titanium adoption in the market-
Manufacturing industry has been place has been its cost. By lowering
both
approved by one of the leading non-
large and small lots,
the cost of a typically expensive
Technical support to meet delivering powders
European aerospace companies. in has opened the
product, NexGen™
your powder requirements “Although this doesquantities as low asopportunities
5kg
Ÿ Powders optimised for AM
not
through
guarantee any future orders Medical
door to other
and, to multi-tonnage
(both
markets and applications) which,
orders.
on the face of it, may seem to be a until now, found titanium to be too
and other major processes minor and expected development, Titanium expensive to adopt. We expect that
Automotive
Magnesium
it is in reality very significant as
it complements the cutting-edge
price reductions now permitted by
the NexGen™ technology will drive
Ÿ Spherical, free flowing, low
improvements we have made with
Cobalt an increased adoption of PyroGen-
oxygen content powders our NexGen™ technology which Superalloys
esis’ powders by new markets and
Aerospace
we have announced in previous applications where the higher cost
press releases, and is a key and of plasma atomised powders was
Ÿ We can arrange trials from
R&D to pilot to production Silicon
fundamental step forward,” stated
MIM
Peter Pascali, CEO and president of
typically prohibitive.”
“This relationship outside of
PyroGenesis. Europe expands, builds upon and
PyroGenesis’ NexGen™ Plasma complements
Aluminiumthat which we have
Atomization System, which produces developed with Aubert & Duval in
Nickel
metal powder at over 25 kg/hour,
was unveiled in 2019 after having
fulfilled a specialty metal powder
Europe,” added Pascali. “It has
taken a bit more time than expected,
but we now have in place one of
order for a non-aerospace client, the best quality systems which,
while maintaining all the character- combined with our gamechanging
istics demanded by the AM Industry NexGen™ technology, positions us
(such as oxygen content, flowability, HIP
well to service the AM Industry.”
density, etc.). www.pyrogenesis.com
Equispheres secures C$30 million

investment round
HERMIGA - Vacuum Inert Gas
Atomiser (VIGA) supplied by
PSI Ltd
Aerospace
Equispheres, Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada, has raised Series B
binder jet Additive Manufacturing,
which was previously unfeasible.
www.psiltd.co.uk investment and a new round of According to the company, this
funding totalling C$30 million. The new funding will largely be used to
Application of MPP Powders funding was led by HG Ventures, scale up production capacity and
with participation from Sustainable facilitate R&D efforts with strategic
Ÿ Automotive
Development Technology Canada Titanium
industry partners
(SDTC), BDC and other undisclosed Kevin Nicholds, President and
Ÿ Aerospace
contributors. CEO of Equispheres, stated, “We
Ÿ Energy Storage Nickel
Within the last year, Equispheres are extremely excited to have
Ÿ Energy Generation
has released two major reports on Superalloys
HG Ventures as a partner; their
Ÿ Medical the results of testing on its unique extraordinary combination of
metal powders. One outlined research capability and venture
how its powder outperformed in capital experience made them an
Medical
Additive Manufacturing aerospace- ideal partner to understand both the
Metal Powder & Process Limited
Cobalt
ready quality tests, and another technical and market potential of our
Tel: +44 (0)1323 404 844
info@metalpowderprocess.co.uk
revealed that the company had
been successful in developing an
Silicon
product across the transportation
industry.”
www.metalpowderprocess.co.uk Additive
aluminium alloy powder suitable for Manufacturing
www.equispheres.com
Automotive
80 Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2020HIP © 2020 Inovar Communications Ltd Vol. 6 No. 2
Magnesium
Aluminium
customers,” stated Dan Hill, CEO of

Würth Industry North America Würth Industry North America. “By
signs distribution agreement with integrating Markforged 3D Printing
technology with our existing Kanban
Markforged programs, we are able to offer
quicker time to market and lower
Würth Industry North America to its customers, including metal inventory costs. We’re able to cut
(WINA), a division of the Würth group additively manufactured parts and out the sourcing, purchasing, and
and an industrial distributor of supply tools, rapid prototyping, and full transportation costs and deliver the
chain solutions for fasteners, MRO service digital Kanban solutions to value directly to the customer.”
and safety equipment, has signed a better manage inventory. Greg Mark, CEO and founder of
national agreement with Markforged, The range of additively manufac- Markforged, commented, “We’re
Watertown, Massachusetts, USA, in tured inventory solutions are believed excited to expand the global reach
order to better serve the needs of to be limitless due to Markforged’s of our solutions with Würth and
Würth’s Industry’s customers in the wide rang of metals — from high- continue to push the bounds of what’s
general manufacturing market, as conductivity copper to industrial possible in Additive Manufacturing.
well as oil & gas, heavy equipment, tool steel to superalloys like Inconel This partnership truly opens up
and transportation. — all in a safe, fast, and easy-to-use valuable potential for us, and for the
According to the companies, the platform. In addition, its composite industry. Markforged makes it easy to
agreement to distribute Markforged’s platform can additively manufacture build anything you can imagine, and
Additive Manufacturing solutions in continuous carbon fiber, Kevlar®, that capability will allow industrial
complements Würth Industry’s and more, creating functional parts manufacturers to lower inventory
strength of providing innovative supply that rival aluminium in terms of costs by printing production tools and
chain solutions for original equip- strength and stiffness, but at a parts – quickly and reliably.”
ment manufacturers (OEMs). Würth fraction of the weight. www.wurthindustry.com/en/wina/
Industry states that it now provides “We are thrilled to bring innovative startseite/index.php
several additional cost-saving options digital supply chain solutions to our www.markforged.com
AML3D commences trading, delivers for our technology and allows us to

demonstrate our capacity to quickly
its first Arcemy AM machine provide commercial outcomes in ‘off
site’ environments outside our own
AML3D Limited, an Australian startup expected to enable AML3D establish manufacturing facility.”
established to commercialise its an additional manufacturing centre The ‘rent to buy’ agreement
Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM) and build sales capacity of its with ST is reported to give AML3D
technology, has commenced trading Arcemy® AM machines. the right to use 50% of the Arcemy
on the Australian Securities Exchange AML3D also announced module’s capacity through the ‘rent’
(ASX) after successfully raising AUD delivery of its first Arcemy metal period. AML3D’s access to the
$9 million. Funds from its IPO are AM machine, to ST Engineering module provides the capability to
in Singapore. Once fully manufacture components for its own
commissioned, the stand-alone customers throughout Asia, before
module will provide enhanced the establishment of the company’s
manufacturing capabilities, said planned Singapore facility.
to be capable of delivering custom The WAM process is a type
components promptly with and of wire-based AM developed by
superior strength. AML3D, allowing savings of up to
“The delivery of our first Arcemy 80% of material waste, making it
module is a significant milestone more sustainable than casting and
in the commercialisation pathway forging methods. AML3D states that
of AML3D,” stated Andrew Sales, its WAM process also provides the
AML3D’s Managing Director. opportunity for design optimisation
“Partnering with ST Engineering of parts, providing weight reductions
AML3D’s Arcemy large-format metal after successfully passing their of up to 30% without compromising
AM machine has been delivered to ST due-diligence process provides a in-service loads of up to 250 tonnes.
Engineering (Courtesy AML3D) high degree of industry validation www.aml3d.com
offered by PostProcess Technologies

PostProcess Technologies adds will be increasingly valuable as this
Z-axis and 3D Alliances to its customer base continues to expand.
We are thrilled at this partnership,
partnership network which is enabling us with the
opportunity to offer digitised end-to-
PostProcess Technologies Inc., the globe are seeking our automated end workflow solutions.”
Buffalo, New York, USA, a provider of and intelligent post-print solutions,” Gil Lavi, Founder and CEO of 3D
automated post-production solutions stated Bruno Bourguet, Managing Alliances, reported, “In the past year,
for industrial Additive Manufacturing, Director of PostProcess Technologies and specifically at Formnext 2019,
has announced a channel partnership International. “To better service this I could see the industry shift from
with Russia-based Additive Manu- expanding market and help us identify prototyping solutions towards the
facturing distributor Z-axis and a strong partners, we are pleased to integration of 3D printing technolo-
collaboration with 3D Alliances, based have the opportunity to work with 3D gies in manufacturing. This is the
in Herzliya, Israel. Alliances. Already, they have helped vision of many leading manufacturers
As part of the partnership, Z-axis us secure a strategic agreement with who are looking to set their own
will expand PostProcess Tech- Z-axis. Together with our channel tailor-made end-to-end digital
nologies’ reach throughout Russia, partners, we continue to aim at workflow.”
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, and achieving our objective of moving “Automated post-processing
Armenia. 3D Alliances who specialise forward in automating the post-print solutions are opening the bottleneck
in the deployment and management step of the Additive Manufacturing of handling large amounts of parts
of global channel networks for AM workflow in Industry 4.0.” with minimum manual labour and
companies, will support PostProcess Sergeï Kulakov, Director, Interna- maximum consistency, efficiency,
Technologies’ recruitment of new tional Division at Z-axis, commented, and repeatability. We are thrilled to
European sales partners as part of “Just between 2010 to 2018, we have join forces with PostProcess Tech-
the collaboration. seen a ten-fold increase in the value nologies, who is the leading player in
“It’s been exhilarating to see the of the Russian Additive Manufacturing this solution segment.”
speed at which customers across market. The revolutionary solutions www.postprocess.com
gy Leaders in Aluminum, Copper

for Technology
niumTechnology Leaders
AdditiveLeaders in Aluminum,
Manufacturing
in Aluminum, CopperCopper
and Titanium
and Titanium for Additive
for Additive Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Technology Leaders in Aluminum, Copper
and Titanium for Additive Manufacturing
www.kymerainternational.com
little effort. To take advantage of

Fraunhofer ILT, MTU Aero Engines, maximum application flexibility, the
Airbus and Mercedes-Benz collaborate partners are developing processes
using both wire and powder
on hybrid AM materials.
Additionally, Fraunhofer ILT has
developed a processing optic for
The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser conventional production methods
generating a ring beam for coaxial
Technology (ILT), Aachen, Germany, with Laser Material Deposition
laser material deposition, which is
is collaborating with MTU Aero (LMD) to develop a new manufac-
being further developed and used in
Engines, Airbus and Mercedes-Benz turing approach.
the joint ProLMD project. This optic
on the ProLMD research project. Fraunhofer ILT, together with a
generates a ring with a uniform
Established in 2016 and funded by total of seven industrial partners,
intensity distribution, thus offering
the German Federal Ministry for will collaborate on the development
directional independence during
Education and Research (BMBF), of a highly efficient, modular LMD
welding. In the project, processes
the project’s aim is to develop new cell that can be integrated into
with deposition rates in the range
hybrid processes that combine an existing process chain with
of 1 to 2 kg/h at high geometric
resolution are being developed.
“The aim was to develop econom-
ical and robust system technology
for the LMD process, based on a
jointed-arm robot, and to integrate
it into a process chain for hybrid
manufacturing,” stated Jan Bremer,
a scientist at Fraunhofer ILT. “We
are moving along the process chain
for robot-based hybrid Additive
Manufacturing and researching
various technologies required for
this. The spectrum of content covers
everything – from processing heads,
robot and shielding gas systems to
welding processes, quality assur-
Example of the hybrid Additive Manufacturing process to be developed as part ance and software.”
of the project (Courtesy Fraunhofer ILT) Fraunhofer ILT explained that
what hybrid actually means in
practice can be demonstrated by
three applications from the project
partners – MTU Aero Engines (the
addition of functional elements
on an engine component), Airbus
(component reinforcement by
the addition of AM ribbing) and
Mercedes-Benz (the adaptation of a
press tool in body production). The
project focuses on locally reinforcing
or modifying conventionally
manufactured components, but the
technologies developed also make
repair applications possible.
Bremer added, “These examples
show what we understand by hybrid
manufacturing. It is the flexible
combination of advantages from
different manufacturing processes,
as it combines any conventional
manufacturing process with LMD to
Turbine housing of a GEnx engine (Courtesy MTU Aero Engines AG) form a continuous process chain.”
Hybrid manufacturing also site in Würselen responsible for few centimetres in size is used as
provides a good example of how project management and cell inte- required.
complex variant diversity can be gration of the robot, while Laserline Fraunhofer ILT states that, at
simplified in production, Bremer GmbH from Mülheim-Kärlich is in its Aachen base, there is one large
explained: “For example, you always charge of the design and develop- and one more compact robotic cell
start by punching and trimming ment of the beam source and for Additive Manufacturing. With
a basic part in the same way. The optics. M. Braun Inertgas-Systeme additional financial support from
variants are then later produced GmbH, Garching, is responsible the BMBF, they are creating a less
using LMD. The user can, therefore, for the construction of a shielding expensive version of the ProLMD
continue to use his punching gas cell, while Dortmund-based robot system for small- and
machine, but then additively apply BCT Steuerungs- und DV-Systeme medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
reinforcements to the component, GmbH is developing the software “We have scaled down the
for example.” and machine-integrated measuring solution from a 3.1 m long robot
“Thanks to the LMD process technology. arm with 90 kg load capacity to
and the technologies developed in While KUKA has its robot weld about 2 m and 60 kg load capacity,”
ProLMD, we can act flexibly and use materials sensitive to oxidation, Bremer further added. “On the
automation to a great extent. This such as titanium, in a flexible large robot, we can demonstrate a
is in line with our guiding principle: shielding gas cell reliably, the flexible changing system with wire-
Additive Manufacturing – but only Aachen-based engineers are using and powder-based processing
in those parts of the process chain another robot system to weld nickel- heads, while the small cell is
where it results in added value,” he and iron-based materials without a all about powder-based LMD,
concluded. shielding gas cell, but with shielding machine-integrated geometry
The division of tasks among the gas flowing locally from the nozzle. measurement and the new CAM
other project partners sees the If the deposition rate is higher, an module.”
Lasertec business unit of the KUKA additional shielding gas nozzle of a www.prolmd.de
Liberty Powder Metals

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Contact Tom Sellers, Commercial and Business Development Manager:

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tom.sellers@libertypowdermetals.com
Heraeus AMLOY
and Trumpf
to work on
the Additive
Manufacturing of
amorphous metals
Heraeus AMLOY, a division of Heraeus,
Hanau, Germany, and Trumpf,
Ditzingen, Germany, have joined
together to collaborate on the Additive
Manufacturing of amorphous metals,
also known as metallic glasses. The
aim of the collaboration is to establish
the Additive Manufacturing of amor-
phous parts as a standard production
method on the shop floor by improving
process and cost efficiencies.
An amorphous expansion sleeve is one part that can be improved by the
According to the companies,
Additive Manufacturing of amorphous metals (Courtesy Heraeus AMLOY)
amorphous metals are twice as strong
as steel, yet significantly lighter and
more elastic. They exhibit isotropic lightweight design, as an AM machine the machine is designed to enable
behaviour, which means their material only builds structures that actually excess powder to be prepared in
properties remain identical, regard- help a part fulfil its function, so an inert gas environment for the
less of the direction in which the AM material use and weight are kept to a subsequent build. This protects the
machine builds up the workpiece. minimum. powder from any adverse influences,
Heraeus AMLOY and Trumpf Amorphous metals are very which is a key for amorphous metals
believe that a number of areas could light by nature, so the combination because they react so quickly with
benefit from the Additive Manufac- of Additve Manufacturing and oxygen.
turing of amorphous metals, and key amorphous metals can reduce weight Customers that already have a
examples of this include parts that in a range of applications. AM makes Trumpf AM machine can now report-
are subject to significant stresses, as the production of amorphous parts edly use it to process zirconium-
well as where lightweight design is faster and simpler in a wide range of based alloys from Heraeus AMLOY,
required, in sectors such as aerospace contexts, and enables users to build and it is also possible to order
and mechanical engineering. These parts in one piece instead of making additively manufactured amorphous
materials are also believed to be an components one-by-one and then parts directly from Heraeus. The two
excellent choice for medical devices assembling them into a finished part. partners hope to make copper- and
due to their biocompatibility. titanium-based alloys available for
Tailoring amorphous alloys for Additive Manufacturing in the future.
Combining the advantages of Trumpf’s TruPrint machines Klaus Parey, Managing Director
amorphous metals and Additive As part of this collaboration, Heraeus Trumpf Additive Manufacturing,
Manufacturing AMLOY will combine its expertise commented, “Amorphous metals
Amorphous metals are formed by in the production and processing of hold potential for numerous
cooling molten metal extremely amorphous metals with Trumpf’s industries. For example, they can
quickly. An Additive Manufacturing experience in Additive Manufacturing. be used in medical devices – one of
machine can then build them into Heraeus AMLOY states that it has the most important industries for
larger, more complex parts – some- optimised its amorphous alloys for Additive Manufacturing. That’s why
thing that other methods are unable to Additive Manufacturing and tailored we believe this collaboration is such
do, according to the two companies. the material for use with Trumpf’s a great opportunity to make even
This opens the door to new TruPrint systems. more inroads into this key market
industrial applications for amorphous The latest-generation TruPrint with our industrial 3D printing
metals. Additive Manufacturing also 2000 machine is believed to be a systems.”
exploits the considerable potential particularly good choice for additively www.heraeus.com
that amorphous metals hold for manufacturing amorphous metals, as www.trumpf.com
Hirtenberger. Ingenuity. Engineered
HIRTISATION®
FULLY AUTOMATED POST-PROCESSING
OF 3D-PRINTED METAL PARTS
Combination of electrochemical pulse methods, hydro- Removal of powder cake

dynamic flow and particle assisted chemical removal Removal of support structures
Reaching deeply into cavities and geometric undercuts Levelling of surface roughness while retaining
No mechanical processing steps involved edge sharpness
Hirtenberger Engineered
Surfaces GmbH
Leobersdorfer Strasse 31-33
2552 Hirtenberg/Austria
Phone: +43 2256 811 84-835
E-Mail: hes@hirtenberger.com hes.hirtenberger.com
ASTM INTERNATIONAL
Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence
Upcoming Workshops & Events

Learn from expert industry leaders from all over the globe!
Join us for a series of online and live training events
for additive manufacturing professionals.
View detailed list of topics and register online

amcoe.org/events
Additive Manufacturing Additive Manufacturing 4th ASTM Additive ASTM International

Safety Certificate General Personnel Manufacturing Center Conference on Additive
Program (Online) Certificate Program of Excellence Snapshot Manufacturing - ASTM
ASTM
Explore all the general (Online) Workshop (Virtual) ICAM 2020 (Virtual and
elements needed when Earn a General AM Certificate Keep pace with rapidly In-Person)
setting up your facility for that will serve as a pre-requisite growing AM technologies Join over 50 AM experts from
AM, plus safety issues to for earning future role-based and gain a general 10 countries to discuss recent
consider during the life of certificates through the ASTM understanding of the entire advancements in the field with
AM processes, including AM CoE. Covers all general AM value chain in this an emphasis on transitioning of
emergency response. concepts of the AM process one-day workshop. This research to applications. More
chain. Open to anyone virtual event will cover a than 17 planned symposiums
July 28-29 looking to advance their AM range of topics related to featuring 325+ speakers will
knowledge! AM industrialization and cover additive manufacturing
automation, followed by a standardization, qualification,
Week 1: August 4 & 6 panel discussion on “Rapid certification, and more.
Response: AM Qualification
and Certification During Full list of topics at
Week 2: August 11 & 13
Crisis.” www.amcoe.org/icam
Week 3: August 18 & 20
September 11 November 16-20
Week 4: August 25, 26,
& 27
For more information

amcoe@astm.org | www.amcoe.org
Intech Additive Solutions launches new a large-format multi-laser machine

said to offer extensive features,
range of metal AM machines designed for use in large-scale
industrial metal AM.
Intech Additive Solutions Pvt. Ltd., “These cost-effective machines “These machines are a culmina-
Bangalore, India, formerly known as are part of Intech’s 3D eco system, tion of more than 30,000 man hours of
Intech DMLS Pvt. Ltd., has launched with softwares bundled in for machine research, development and innovation
a new range of metal Additive Manu- parameter optimisation and build spread over the past thirty-six
facturing machines. The iFusion process being sold as a package,” months,” explained Balaram. “We
machine series includes the iFusion he continued. “The overall target of have 3D printed more than 800 parts
SF1 and iFusion LFMulti, designed Intech is to reduce the cost of acquisi- for variety of industries in different
and constructed at Intech Additive tion, cost of operations and first time materials. Along with our in-house
Solutions’ Bangalore facility. right with a quick go to market.” developed Software AMOptoMet and
Established in 2012, Intech The iFusion SF1 is a smaller- the upcoming AMBuilder, we aim to
Additive Solutions has been offering format machine designed for use create a full-fledged eco system for
metal AM services to both the in R&D laboratories, universities Additive Manufacturing, fuelling the
domestic and global markets for and other small-scale production industrialisation of AM in India.”
some time, providing solutions from environments. The iFusion LFMulti is www.intechadditive.com
concept design to fully-functional
production parts for industries
including aerospace, automotive,
general engineering and medical.
The company has business offices in
the USA and Europe and has previ-
ously received strategic investment
from DMG Mori.
On the launch of the company’s
range of metal AM machines,
Sridhar Balaram, MD & CEO of
Intech Additive Solutions, stated,
“The iFusion series of metal 3D
printers, based on the Selective
Laser Melting technology and
the first of its kind in India, are
designed for high precision, stability,
reliability and to deliver unmatched
performance with higher build The Intech Additive Solutions team poses in front of the newly-released iFusion
rates.” SF1 and iFusion LFMulti (Courtesy Intech Additive Solutions Pvt. Ltd.)
MN3D network established for Additive AM market is expected to continue to

grow rapidly in the coming years.
Manufacturing in maritime industry All activities of the MN3D network
partners will be directed towards
A new network, MN3D, has been size and exposure of the objects to the joint development of concrete
established by the Maritime Cluster low-frequency vibrations, seawater research and development projects
Northern Germany (MCN) to drive the resistance, durability of objects and to promote innovations in AM for
adoption of Additive Manufacturing associated reliability, accessibility of the maritime industry. To this end,
in the maritime industry. Funded by the objects, environmental require- applications will be submitted to the
the Central Innovation Program for ments and economic efficiency. The ZIM program for further funding.
SMEs (ZIM) of the Federal Ministry implementation of AM in the maritime Currently, R&D projects are being
of Economics and Energy, the industry and marketing strategies will planned on surface quality, materials,
network aims to develop improved, also be jointly driven by the network integration of sensor technology,
alternative manufacturing methods partners. component sizes and tool life.
and products for the maritime sector. Global sales in Additive Manufac- The MN3D partners can be found
In doing so, its special needs and turing, including software, hardware on the network’s website.
requirements will be taken into and materials, reportedly rose by www.maritimes-cluster.de
account. These concerns include the 18% in 2018 to over €8 billion. The www.mn3d.de
ASM International publishes new book safety with fundamental structure,

properties, processing and tests.
on binder and polymer assisted powder Each chapter concludes with a review
processing of current industrial standards and
examples of practices.
ASM International has published The 273-page book focuses on the The book covers the following
a new book, Binder and Polymer basic principles and options available topics as dedicated chapters:
Assisted Powder Processing, for the application of polymers • Engineering powders
co-authored by Randall M German and natural organics to powder • Binder constituents
and Animesh Bose. processing. It links materials, powder
• Binder formulation
characteristics, forming processes
and product attributes together to • Powder-binder feedstock mixing
give what the authors believe to and testing
be the first unified treatment on • Shaping processes
polymer-assisted powder processing. • Binder removal
The processes discussed include • Sintering densification
injection moulding, sinter-based • Component mechanical proper-
Additive Manufacturing, uniaxial die ties
compaction, tape casting, extrusion,
• Case studies of powder-binding
slip casting and slurry casting. In
processing practices
each process, the technical require-
• Opportunities for powder-binder
ments are outlined and polymer
forming technologies
Binder and Polymer Assisted Powder candidates are identified.
Processing has been published by ASM International explains that The book is available to purchase
ASM International (Courtesy ASM the book bridges the practical via the company’s website.
International) aspects of cost, availability and www.asminternational.org
sents a strong pathway to explore

Titomic and Triton Systems to deliver commercial opportunities within the
AM to US Department of Defense US Department of Defense,” stated
Jeff Lang, Titomic Managing Director.
Titomic and Triton will also explore
Titomic Limited, Melbourne, The focus of the partnership will be opportunities for the acquisition of
Australia, has partnered with product to enable products made with Titomic’s one or more TKF systems within
development and technology company TKF technology meet stringent military Triton’s facilities in the USA for
Triton Systems Inc, headquartered in requirements, including performance further research and OEM production.
Chelmsford, Massachusetts, USA, to in temperature extremes, robustness, In the interim, Titomic will provide
implement Titomic’s Kinetic Fusion and durability under very demanding sample and prototyping fabrication
(TKF) capabilities for validation operating environments. Current services for existing development
through R&D projects with the US metal AM production processes and efforts from its Melbourne bureau.
Department of Defense (DoD). materials have reportedly not been David Model, Chief Operating
Established in 1992, Triton has able to satisfy the requirements of Officer of Triton Systems, added, “We
introduced many products used by the DoD for certain mission-critical are excited to bring Titomic’s cutting
the defence and healthcare sectors. applications. edge cold spray technology to our
The company specialises in bringing Utilising Triton’s existing DoD DoD customer base. The defence
specific products to a validation stage network, Triton will execute community has been looking for
where DoD approval leads to product programmes to deliver prototypes the capability to quickly and flexibly
manufacturing, and as part of the using the unique capabilities of manufacture large scale parts using
Defense Industrial Base, develops Titomic TKF metal AM systems. The additive technology. We believe the
and delivers critical solutions to parties will collaborate on a tech- TKF solution will allow Triton and
address complex challenges that nology transfer program to ‘upskill’ Titomic to closely work with our
support the DoD through applied their respective technical teams DoD end users and prime partners
research and development, including with manufacturing capabilities only to facilitate the qualification and
the design, development and supply achievable using the TKF process. adoption of critical additively manu-
of products, subsystems, and “The signing of this agreement factured parts for military platforms.”
components to meet US military with Triton Systems, a successful US www.titomic.com
requirements. technology venture company, repre- www.tritonsystems.com
AM 4 Industry project publishes industrial users to compare different

production methods for specific
cost-benefit tool to identify suitable parts and supports well-founded
AM components and accelerated decision-making.

“Capturing the potential of
Additive Manufacturing and
The Ecoplus Plastics and Thus, a classic comparison exploiting it is a major practical
Mechatronics Cluster, based in of manufacturing costs is often challenge,” stated Tobias Schröer,
Lower Austria, has reported that insufficient for obtaining a realistic Head of Production Management at
researchers Tobias Schröer and assessment of the economic the RWTH Aachen and co-developer
Sören Münker from the Research advantage. The researchers believe of the cost-benefit model. “The
Institute for Rationalization (FIR) at that what is needed is a holistic cost-benefit tool clearly shows how
RWTH Aachen University and part model that can compare not only to identify possible business cases
of the of the Collective Research the costs but also the technological by comparing costs and benefits at
Network (CORNET) project ‘AM 4 advantages at a very early stage an early stage.”
Industry’ led by Ecoplus Plastics to help identify new benefits The ‘AM 4 Industry’ project
and Mechatronics Clusters, have and accelerate decision-making comprises eight renowned
developed a practical cost-benefit processes. With this goal in research partners and fifty-one
tool that helps companies identify mind, Schröer and Münker have companies from Austria, Germany,
components suitable for Additive developed an advanced cost-benefit and Belgium, who have spent two
Manufacturing. tool as part of the ‘AM 4 Industry’ years researching the successful
The researchers explained that project. industrial use of Additive Manu-
deciding on the use of Additive The model reportedly helps to facturing processes. The primary
Manufacturing processes in a assess the individual cost-benefit goal of the project was to develop
company can be very challenging, ratio in a structured way by models to support companies in
and is often based on incomplete acknowledging specific product successfully integrating AM in
information and time-consuming characteristics and already known production technologies. In contrast
trial-and-error tests. Practice shows advantages of the AM technologies. to existing approaches, the newly
that competitive advantage is often It takes into account the entire life developed cost-benefit model allows
created only through deep integra- cycle of product design/engineering, the identification and evaluation of
tion of AM into the value chain. For production/quality and service/ Additive Manufacturing not only in
example, the cost advantages of after-sales in order to determine terms of costs but also of generated
lightweight components manufac- the most economically-promising benefits.
tured using AM are achieved through applications out of the totality of the The cost-benefit model can be
reduced fuel consumption over the potential applications. As a result, downloaded via network’s website.
part’s whole lifetime. the practicable model enables www.am4industry.com
Sensitivity analysis Production cost [EUR/part] Cost-benefit comparison [EUR/part]
2.66% 2.37%
4.98% 0.725%
5520
Production costs [EUR/part]
5000
5519.5
4000
5519
3000
5518.5
2000
89.3%
5518
50 100 150 1000
Machine costs
Lot size Labor costs 0
Indirect material costs
Trace 0 Direct material costs Production Benefits
Trace 1 Postprocessing costs costs
Researchers from RWTH Aachen University and have published a cost-benefit tool for AM as part of the ‘AM 4 Industry’
project (Courtesy ‘AM 4 Industry’)
We take pride in educating our customers.

See how DSH can help you today.
107 Commerce Road, Cedar Grove, NJ 07009 USA

+1 973.239.7792 • dshtech.com • #dshtechnologies
Elementum 3D and Masten Space M. Holland adds

complete hot fire testing of fuel injector BASF metal
filament to its
Elementum 3D, Erie, Colorado, USA,
and Masten Space Systems, Mojave,
or small-scale porous flow paths
integrated into structural elements.
offering
California, USA, have completed Varying the density across the
successful hot fire testing of their part enables lightweight, yet stiff M. Holland Company, Northbrook,
jointly-developed PermiAM metal and strong, parts that can increase Illinois, USA, a distributor of ther-
additively manufactured fuel injector, engine thrust-to-weight ratio. Cost moplastic resins, has announced an
part of the NASA Phase I SBIR and schedule savings are realised expanded distribution agreement
project. through the capability to manufacture with BASF 3D Printing Solutions,
The patent-pending PermiAM single parts with varying material Heidelberg, Germany. Adding
Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion properties where, in the past, multiple to its portfolio of AM products
(PBF-LB) process, is reported to components needed to be manufac- and services, M. Holland is now
enable material agnostic transpira- tured separately and assembled with distributing Ultrafuse® 316L, BASF’s
tion cooling, which enables complex a high touch time, long lead times and stainless steel composite filament.
rocket engine injectors, with face higher operations costs. This filament can be processed
cooling, to be built using Additive Through work with industry using standard Fused Filament
Manufacturing. The technology is partners, as well as direct quotes Fabrication (FFF) machines and
said to enable design simplification from manufacturers for hardware, debinding and sintering processes.
and cost savings by combining Masten has determined that the cost “We are excited to broaden our
regions of controlled permeability savings provided by PermiAM will existing relationship with BASF
with fully-dense structures within the meet or exceed the 60% mark, which and are fortunate to be among the
same injector component. As well as is the criterion used in business to select organisations authorised to
space-going engines, this technology determine when a technology or distribute Ultrafuse® 316L,” stated
could also be applied to other fields, process is game changing. Time Haleyanne Freedman, Market
including commercial jet engines or savings of over 90% are possible when Manager, 3D Printing at M. Holland.
automotive fuel injection. compared to a traditional Rigimesh “This metal polymer composite
A key benefit of PermiAM, rocket injector face, and weight filament is a groundbreaking and
compared to traditional porosity savings of 50–70% can be achieved for industry-changing product that
creation methods, is its ability to form the hot structure, as PermiAM cooling is also cost-effective. Our clients
micron-scale porosity, Elementum could allow aluminium to replace can leverage this distinct material
3D told Metal AM magazine. This Inconel parts. to complement existing plastic
enables high-fluid resistivity and “This exciting work with Masten injection moulding opportunities and
controllable pressure drops, enabling is leading us to new and exciting a wide array of other applications.”
optimised injector performance. With technologies only possible with 3D “By expanding our distribution
the ability to vary material density, printing,” Dr Jacob Nuechterlein, partnership with M. Holland to now
structural and flow performance Elementum 3D’s President and include our Ultrafuse® 316L metal
may be fine-tuned across the part, Founder, told Metal AM. “We see filament for Additive Manufacturing,
enabling novel injector geometries PermiAM making a significant impact we are able to make the printing of
with structural members embedded on all sorts of industries, from diesel metal parts more accessible and
in porous transpiration-cooled faces engines to complex heat exchangers affordable to manufacturers,” added
to carbon sequestration. Like many Firat Hizal, Head of Metal Systems,
space innovations, we are applying BASF 3D Printing Solutions. “As
our joint technology to a wide variety we expand our presence in North
of terrestrial applications as well.” America, customers can quickly
Sean Mahoney, CEO of Masten and reliably create stainless steel
Space Systems, added, “The value parts, utilising their existing printers
of this technology is unlocked where and an established debinding and
it turns into applications – and that sintering network.”
is precisely what Elementum and This distribution arrangement
Masten are doing. This partnership is follows a prior agreement with
already helping improve systems here BASF, and enhances a growing
on Earth, and unlocking the Moon for portfolio of AM materials from
Elementum and Masten Space’s our future.” suppliers Henkel, Owens Corning
PermiAM fuel injector (Courtesy www.elementum3D.com and 3DXTech.
Masten Space Systems) www.masten.aero www.mholland.com
Powder Metallurgy Training Courses 2020
New Dates
Email: dn@epma.com Registration forms and prices at:
www.pmlifetraining.com
ADDITIVE
MANUFACTURING
24-28 August 2020 Dresden, Germany
For those wishing to gain profound insights
into the current state of Additive Manufacturing
technologies for metal and ceramic parts,
including non-beam methods like binder jetting and
fused filament fabrication, this is the perfect place to be.
The unique abundance of dedicated AM labs of four
Fraunhofer institutes, as well as the strong industry
presence, ensures that this intense course is up-to-date
and of practical relevance. The program includes plant
and lab visits as well as practical hands-on exercises.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 10 August 2020

© VBN Components
POWDER AND
HARD METAL
12-16 October 2020 Gothenburg, Sweden
Hosted by Chalmers University, this module

covers both fundamental aspects as well as
industrial practise given by experts from
academia, research institutes and industry. The mod-
ule includes state-of-the-art lectures on metal
powder fabrication and properties for Additive
Manufacturing, Hot Isostatic Pressing and Press
& Sinter. The week in Gothenburg also includes a
study visit to a powder fabrication plant, that will
include a lab and plant tour and onsite presentations.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 12 August 2020

© Kennametal
PRESS AND SINTER

2-6 November 2020 Grenoble, France
Hosted by Grenoble’s INP, National Institute of

Technology, the Press and Sinter module will cover
both fundamental and practical facets of conventional
powder processing, pressing and sintering operations.
The participants will get an
understanding of the physical, chemical and
mechanical mechanisms that operate during
powder pressing and sintering operations, which
will improve understanding of the industrial process.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 15 October 2020

© Gevorkyan
INOVAR
C O M M U N I C A T I O N S
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Vol. 6 No. 2
96
Empa uses novel AM process to alter In the smallest case, the pool
was 200 microns in diameter and 50
properties in magnetic parts microns deep, in the largest case
350 microns wide and 200 microns
deep. The larger melt pool allows
Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories of metal powder with only the power
much more nitrogen to evaporate
for Materials Science and Technology and duration of the laser beam
from the alloy; the solidifying steel
based in Dübendorf, Switzerland, has varied.
crystallises with a high proportion of
published its results from a recent At the beginning of the study, the
magnetisable ferrite. In the case of
research study, creating new alloys Empa team, led by Aryan Arabi-
the smallest melt pool, the melted
with novel properties and embedding Hashemi and Christian Leinenbach,
steel solidifies much faster. The
them in additively manufactured used a special type of stainless
nitrogen remains in the alloy; the
metal workpieces with micrometre steel which was developed twenty
steel crystallises mainly in the form
precision. years ago by Hempel Special Metals
of non-magnetic austenite.
During metal Additive Manu- in Dübendorf, among others. The
During the experiment, the
facturing in Laser Beam Powder so-called P2000 steel does not
researchers had to determine the
Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) machines, contain nickel, but around 1% of
nitrogen content in tiny, millimetre-
temperatures of more than 2,500°C nitrogen. P2000 steel is said to not
sized metal samples very precisely
are reached within milliseconds, cause allergies and is well suited
and measure the local magnetisation
causing some components of the for medical applications. However,
to within a few micrometres, as well
alloys to evaporate. Widely considered it is particularly hard, which makes
as the volume ratio of austenitic and
a problem inherent to the process, conventional milling more difficult.
ferritic steel.
Empa researchers explain that they Initially, it seems unsuitable as a
According to Empa, the experi-
have transformed this problem into base material for AM, state the team.
ment could soon add a key tool to
an opportunity.. In the melting zone of the laser beam,
the methodology of metal production
Empa states that the material the temperature quickly peaks and a
and processing. The method is said
sample, which it describes as a large part of the nitrogen within the
to be not limited to stainless steels,
small metallic chessboard 4 mm metal normally evaporates, changing
but can also be useful for many other
long on either side, shows that the properties of the P2000 steel.
alloys.
Additive Manufacturing is not only Arabi-Hashemi and Leinenbach
“In 3D laser printing, we can easily
suitable for creating new geometric are reported to have turned this
reach temperatures of more than
shapes, but also for producing new drawback into an advantage. They
2500°C locally,” stated Leinenbach.
materials with completely new modified the scanning speed of the
“This allows us to vaporise various
functionalities. The small chessboard laser and the intensity of the laser
components of an alloy in a
is a particularly obvious example, with beam, which melts the particles
targeted manner – e.g. manganese,
its eight magnetic squares, and eight in the metal powder bed, and thus
aluminium, zinc, carbon and many
non-magnetic squares. The entire varied the size and lifetime of
more – and thus locally change the
piece has reportedly been additively the liquid melt pool in a specified
chemical composition of the alloy.”
manufactured from a single grade manner.
Leinenbach considers certain
nickel-titanium alloys known as
shape memory alloys and at what
temperature the alloy “remembers”
its programmed shape depends on
just 0.1% more or less nickel in the
mixture. By using AM, structural
components could be made that react
locally and in a staggered manner to
different temperatures.
The ability to produce different
alloy compositions with micrometre
precision in a single component could
also be helpful in the design of more
efficient electric motors, explains the
Empa. It is now possible to build the
stator and the rotor of the electric
motor and make better use of the
Precisely magnetised iron filings stick to this mini chessboard with 4 mm edge geometry of the magnetic fields.
length (Courtesy Empa) www.empa.ch
Texas A&M researchers develop “Porosities are tiny holes that can
sharply reduce the strength of the
method for Additive Manufacturing final 3D printed object, even if the
martensitic hard steels raw material used for the 3D printing
is very strong,” explained Karaman.
“To find practical applications for the
Researchers at Texas A&M University, Although the procedure developed new martensitic steel, we needed
USA, in collaboration with scientists was initially for martensitic steels, to go back to the drawing board and
at the US Air Force Research researchers from the Texas A&M said investigate which laser settings could
Laboratory, have reportedly developed they have made their guidelines general prevent these defects.”
a process that allows the Additive enough so that the same AM pipeline
Manufacturing of martensitic steels can be used to build intricate objects Predicting and preventing defects in
into sturdy, defect-free objects of from other metals and alloys. The additively manufactured martensitic
nearly any shape. findings of the study were reported in steels
Martensitic steels naturally lend the December issue of Acta Materialia. For their experiments, Karaman and
themselves to applications in the the Texas A&M team first used an
aerospace, automotive and defence Martensite steels and metal Additive existing mathematical model inspired
industries, among others, where Manufacturing by one used in welding to predict
high-strength, lightweight parts need Martensite steels are formed when how a single layer of martensitic
to be manufactured without adding steels are heated to extremely high steel powder would melt at different
to part cost. However, for these and temperatures before being rapidly laser speed and power settings. By
other applications, the metals must cooled. The sudden cooling unnaturally comparing the type and number of
to be able to be built into complex confines carbon atoms within iron defects they observed in a single track
structures with minimal loss of crystals, giving martensitic steel of melted powder with the model’s
strength and durability. its signature strength. To meet the predictions, they were able to change
“Strong and tough steels have needs of a diverse field of applica- their existing framework slightly so
tremendous applications but tions, martensitic steels, particularly that subsequent predictions improved.
the strongest ones are usually low-alloy martensitic steels, must be After a few such iterations, it was
expensive – the one exception being capable of being formed into a wide stated that their framework could
martensitic steels that are relatively range of shapes and sizes depending correctly forecast – without additional
inexpensive, costing less than a dollar on requirements. experiments – whether a new,
per pound,” stated Ibrahim Karaman, Additive Manufacturing is the ideal untested set of laser settings would
Chevron Professor I and head of the solution for the production of complex- lead to defects in the martensitic steel
Department of Materials Science and shaped components, but the AM of builds. This procedure is more time-
Engineering. “We have developed martensitic steels using laser-based efficient, the researchers explained:
a framework so that 3D printing of processes such as Laser Beam Powder “By combining experiments and
these hard steels is possible into any Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) can introduce modelling, we were able to develop a
desired geometry and the final object defects such as pores within the simple, quick, step-by-step procedure
will be virtually defect-free.” material. that can be used to determine which
setting would work best for 3D
printing of martensitic steels,” stated
Raiyan Seede, a graduate student in
the College of Engineering and the
primary author of the study.
Further contributors to the study
included Austin Whitt and Raymundo
Arróyave from the Department of
Materials Science and Engineering;
David Shoukr, Bing Zhang and Alaa
Elwany from the Department of
Industrial and Systems Engineering;
and Sean Gibbons and Philip Flater
from the Air Force Research Labora-
tory, Florida. The research was funded
by the Army Research Office and the
Martensite steel powder used for AM (Courtesy Raiyan Seede, Microstructural Air Force Research Laboratory.
Engineering of Structural and Active Materials Group, Texas A&M) https://engineering.tamu.edu/
Analysis. Trends. Forecasts.
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3T-am cuts part setup time from five The need for automation at 3T-am
3T-am’s ambition was to produce
hours to ten minutes with Renishaw right-first-time parts, but the
and MSP company found that this would be
impossible without automation due
to the inherent challenges posed
3T Additive Manufacturing Ltd Though it has always delivered by Additive Manufacturing. Their
(3T-am), Newbury, Berkshire, UK, has orders on time, due to its meticulous production to near-net shape means
achieved a reduction in its part setup and lengthy setup processes, opera- there is little material to work with,
time from five hours to ten minutes tors were often required to work giving no margin of error, and they
with the adoption of technology from unplanned overtime shifts in order are usually complex shapes with no
Renishaw PLC, Wotton-under-Edge, to fulfil urgent customer orders and orthogonal surfaces to locate on,
Gloucestershire, UK, and Renishaw meet quick turnaround times. To making it difficult to achieve accurate
associate company MSP, Alnwick, ease this pressure, the company alignments. Furthermore, the AM
Northumberland, UK. made significant investments in build process can cause parts to
3T-am, formerly 3T RPD, offers two 5-axis mills and a CMM, but distort, meaning their final shape may
metal and polymer Additive Manu- despite this extra capacity, each part be marginally different to the initial
facturing services to a wide range still required manual setup, and, CAD model.
of industries, primarily using Laser therefore, created additional demand Before introducing MSP’s products,
Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB). It on their manufacturing personnel to 3T-am manually located each part in
offers supply chain solutions providing deliver parts on schedule. the fixture. This was a highly skilled
parts that reduce volume weight, By automating 3T-am’s and very time consuming process to
cost and lead time whilst maintaining processes, MSP has made it possible ensure the alignment was accurate.
safety through prototype, development for the company to complete setup Test spotting cuts were made to
and serial production. and alignment for a full batch of visually identify positional error, and
3T-am has experienced strong parts in the machine during the the part was then either manually
growth in recent years, and while day and leave the machine to run adjusted again or updates to the
originally known for its prototyping overnight with full confidence. machining program were made.
capabilities, has more recently This has enabled 24/7 lights-out This manual setup process took, on
become established as a serial production, allowing the company to average, five hours per part, but for
production company. As a result, maximise its machine utilisation and more complex parts could sometimes
the company is looking to expand produce a whole batch of parts in take a day.
its capability and capacity to meet one day, compared to only one part Once the initial part had been
customer demand. previously. machined, a first article inspection
on the CMM was performed before
the rest of the batch could be
manufactured. For a complex part,
this inspection process could check in
excess of sixty features, and it would
only be at this stage that errors were
discovered, meaning that the setup
process needed adjustments and
causing delay in the manufacture
of the other parts. Even if the part
passed inspection, the machine tool
had in the meantime sat unused
waiting for the inspection result.
Furthermore, the length of the
process meant jobs were passed
between operators and engineers
changing shifts, which resulted in
extensive technical handovers to
safeguard the alignments needed on
each job. For more complex parts, a
‘one job, one man’ method was used
to avoid key information being missed;
3T-am’s part setup time was reduced from five hours to ten minutes (Courtesy however, this made part manufacture
MSP) solely dependent on one person
and their working shifts, potentially

resulting in excessive overtime and
pressure for this engineer.
Martin Jarvis, Production Engineer
at 3T-am, stated, “Our manual
setup was high risk and we had low
confidence. We would be nervous
when the finished part was taken to
inspection as our day’s work could be
written off and we would need to do
an expensive single part rebuild and
fast track it through production to
ensure it was delivered on time – that
was a problem.”
Solving the problem with Renishaw

and MSP
3T-am turned to Renishaw and MSP
to help reduce setup times, improve 3T-am invested in NC-Inspect MODUS (left) and NC-PerfectPart (right)
quality and automate their processes (Courtesy MSP)
in order to make full use of their
pallet changing system for lights-out
production and maximise machining manually. Crucially, any misalignment gives the ability to automate the
capacity. errors are automatically removed and inspection process.
The use of Renishaw’s OMP600 the time taken to align or locate the “I challenged MSP to prove their
high-accuracy machine tool probe part is significantly reduced. claims in real time as it all seemed
and MSP’s NC-PerfectPart software The same measurements are then too good to be true,” stated Jarvis.
allows 3T-am to identify and correct used by the software to check the “I attended Renishaw’s Innovation
errors in part positioning and part’s condition of supply. It produces Centre in Gloucester and presented
machine performance prior to a Pre-Machining Inspection Report, the MSP engineer with a completely
machining. The OMP600 offers all the which notes if there is too much blind test. I turned up with a part
benefits of automated job setup, as distortion or not enough material to which they had no advance knowledge
well as the ability to measure complex create a ‘good part’ or ‘clean up’ in of, and they programmed the part
3D part geometries and, in combina- the areas which are to be machined. and delivered the promised results
tion with MSP’s software, automate This is generated before any before my eyes. When MSP’s products
machining processes and eliminate machining begins, so the part process were installed at 3T-am, the MSP
the potential for human error. can be stopped from the outset if any guarantee also meant we were
NC-PerfectPart’s initial step is to condition of supply errors are present. making right-first-time parts before
assess the machine tool’s geometric NC-PerfectPart’s ability to their engineer even left site.”
performance to ensure it is calibrated automate part alignment and take Operator and Programmer at
and correct in 5-axis movement. This measurements at any tool orientation, 3T-am, Jon Saunders, added, “As
confirms every aspect of the probe in any direction, also allows for well as the great results, we have
and machine performance is within simple, generic work holding to be been very pleasantly surprised by
set tolerances prior to part setup and used, as the fixture is only required to how straightforward MSP’s software
machining, to ensure that parts can securely hold the part. This removes has been for us to use day to day. The
be finished accurately. the need for expensive bespoke automation gives us the certainty
The part is securely loaded into the location fixtures and allows the same we always wanted that the parts are
machine and the software then meas- fixture to be used for multiple parts going to be right.”
ures it to calculate an accurate best (where applicable). “The impact has been huge for
fit alignment in 6° of freedom. The At the end of the process, using us in terms of our working practices
controller is automatically updated NC-PerfectPart, the part can be and the confidence we now have in
to compensate for the discrepancy inspected on the machine before it delivering what we do,” commenced
between the physical part location is removed from the fixture and a Jarvis. “It has almost made me want
and the nominal machining program, Post-Machining Verification report to get back out working on the shop
to ensure the machining path takes is produced which verifies the part floor.”
place where the real part is. has been machined within tolerance. www.3t-am.com
This eliminates the need to This reduces reliance on the CMM, www.renishaw.com
carefully fixture and adjust the part eradicating CMM bottlenecks and www.mspltd.com
Developing the Powder Metallurgy Future european powder

metallurgy association
Virtual Congress
5 – 7 October 2020
Join the PM Community Online
Technical Programme Available July
Find out more at www.europm2020.com
VIRTU@ L CONGRESS
VIRTU@ L CONGRESS
www.europm2020.com
Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2020 © 2020 Inovar Communications Ltd Vol. 6 No. 2
102
3D Systems releases enhanced reverse Documentation that will be live-

hosted on the company’s support
engineering software for AM site providing customers access to
continuously updated documentation
It also includes new texture
3D Systems, Rock Hill, South Caro- for traditionally difficult parts with manipulation tools to streamline
lina, USA, has announced two new both organic and prismatic features. workflows involving colour and
versions of its Geomagic® Design X™ Topology optimised parts and castings texture scans. When an engineer
and Geomagic Wrap® software, which with precision features present scans an object that includes
include first-to-market capabilities unique challenges for repatriating a colours, logos or other complex
that are said to streamline workflows generative mesh or 3D scan into CAD visual elements in a scan-to-web
and offer digital tools to achieve with intelligence. Selective Surfacing workflow or digital asset creation,
greater precision. These enhance- combines fast organic surfacing with an additional software program
ments to its reverse engineering high precision feature modelling is generally required to edit
solutions have been developed to help methods. and retouch these files prior to
manufacturers maintain a competitive Also available will be Geomagic manipulating the surface textures.
advantage by accelerating product Wrap 2021, providing a toolset to The latest release includes a more
development cycles, enabling faster transform 3D scan data and imported robust set of texture map manipula-
time to market. files into 3D models for immediate tion tools to deal with complex
3D Systems explains that its use in downstream engineering appli- geometries directly within Geomagic
Geomagic Design X software cations across a variety of industries. Wrap. Having these advanced
combines robust 3D scan processing General availability of Geomagic Wrap capabilities included in the same
and complete CAD design function- 2021 is planned for late July 2020, program streamlines the workflow
ality to achieve faster, more accurate and includes scripting automation – enabling creation of higher quality
and reliable reverse engineering than said to enable engineers to work and more logical texture maps for
is possible with other methods. Using more efficiently. It includes a new improved downstream usability –
the software’s newest features, engi- scripting editor that allows engineers helping improve efficiencies and
neers are expected to benefit from to customise their workflow for their reduce design time.
streamlined modelling workflows as unique applications. The editor uses A new HD Mesh Construction
well as expanded modelling pathways Python – an open-source, widely-used method provides a powerful way
for complex, revolved parts. programming language with which to construct 3D data from point
The newest Geomagic Design X many engineers are familiar – to clouds. This can be a particularly
release includes an Unroll/Reroll interact with the custom Geomagic challenging operation when dealing
function that enables a new modelling Wrap accessible features. This has with a scan that is missing informa-
workflow to tackle these complex, enabled a much simpler experience tion, or for those that result in large
revolved parts. Revolved parts with with new tools such as ‘autocomplete’ data sets. HD Mesh Construction
features have historically been very and ‘contextual highlighting’ that is designed to overcome these
cumbersome to model, as CAD accelerate the design of accurate, 3D challenges, enabling engineers to
software uses a two-dimensional surfaced models. These new features create watertight meshes.
environment to create three-dimen- are complemented by enhanced API www.3dsystems.com
sional, rotating parts with multi-axis
features. The process often requires
a great deal of trial and rework to
get to a final part – often sacrificing
precision. Using a comprehensive
suite of mesh processing tools, an
engineer using Geomagic Design X
can now unroll the mesh to automati-
cally extract a 2D sketch, make the
modifications needed, and then reroll
the sketch for additional engineering.
This feature reduces the need for
multiple rounds of trial and re-work,
dramatically improving part precision,
efficiency and downstream usability.
The new Selective Surfacing
features in Geomagic Design X
2020 simplify the hybrid modelling Unrolling of a 3D scan of a tyre for mould modelling in Geomagic Design X
process, providing easy workflows (Courtesy 3D Systems)
Aerosint additively manufactures its 40 µm each, the part has a height of

6.9 mm and diameter of 55 mm. An
first dual metal part integral 1.7 mm channel is featured
within the CuCrZr portion. The part
Aerosint, Liège, Belgium, reports Midi + Laser Beam Powder Bed build time was said to be around
that it has additively manufactured its Fusion (PBF-LB) machine enabled the 5.4 hours.
first dual metal part, produced on the use of 316L and CuCrZr to build the www.aerosint.com
Aconity Midi + machine. The machine test part. Consisting of 174 layers of www.aconity3d.com
was designed by the company’s
partner Aconity 3D GmbH, Herzogen-
rath, Germany, to enable Aerosint’s
multi-material powder deposition
technology to be integrated.
According to Aerosint, this is a
major breakthrough for Additive
Manufacturing, as multi-metal AM
gives designers and engineers the
degree of freedom to make better
parts; no other technology is thought
to currently be capable of producing
such dual-metal parts.
The integration of Aerosint’s Aerosint has additively manufactured a dual metal part for the first time
dual-metal recoater in Aconity3D’s (Courtesy Aerosint)
unnecessary. The researchers believe

TU Graz develops LED-based metal that, using SLEDM, it may be possible
Additive Manufacturing machine to produce such implants directly in

the operating room, as an LED light is
Researchers at the Institute for Manu- 20 mm during the melting process. less dangerous to use in the operating
facturing Technology at Graz University This enables larger volumes to be theatre than a powerful laser.
of Technology (TU Graz), Austria, melted per unit of time, without The second focus for the SLEDM
have developed a new technology for having to do without filigree internal process is on sustainable mobility,
metal Additive Manufacturing called structures, and thus reduces the namely in the manufacture of
Selective LED-based Melting (SLEDM), production time of components, components such as bipolar plates for
involving the targeted melting of metal for example for fuel cell or medical fuel cells or components for battery
powder using LED light sources. The technology, by a factor of twenty. systems. Haas plans to produce a
researchers have applied for a patent This technology is combined with marketable prototype of the metal AM
on the new process. a newly designed production system, machine in the next development step.
The technology is similar to Laser which – in contrast to other AM www.tugraz.at
Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) systems – assembles the component
or Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion from top to bottom. This is said
(PBF-EB), but reportedly eliminates to reduce the amount of powder
two central problems of powder required and enable the necessary
bed-based AM; the time-consuming post-processing to be carried out
production of large-volume metal during the AM process.
components, and the time-consuming The demonstrator of the SLEDM
manual reworking required. process is included in the K project
According to Franz Haas, head CAMed of the Medical University of
of the Institute for Manufacturing Graz, where the first laboratory for
Technology at TU Graz, in SLEDM medical AM was opened in October
metal powder is melted using a 2019. Here, SLEDM will be used
high-performance LED beam. The to produce bioresorbable metal
light-emitting diodes used for this implants – primarily screws that are
were specially adapted by lighting made of magnesium alloys and used
specialist Preworks and equipped with in the repair of broken bones. These The metal AM machine developed at
a complex lens system with which implants dissolve in the body after TU Graz melts metal powder using
the diameter of the LED focus can the fracture has grown together, high-performance LED light sources
be easily changed between 0.05 and meaning that a second operation is (Courtesy TU Graz)
International exhibition and conference

on the next generation of manufacturing technologies
Frankfurt, Germany, 10 – 13 November 2020

formnext.com
Do you belong to the world of additive manufacturing?
Design and software
R&D
Metrology
Materials
Post-processing
Services
Manufacturing solutions
Pre-processing
In a world where AM applications are increasing rapidly, solutions are

needed along the entire process chain. Become an exhibitor at Formnext.
Present your expertise in the manufacturing process and secure your
place in Frankfurt.
Where ideas take shape.
Offical event hashtag #formnext

| contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter | Precious metal Additive Manufacturing
Innovation and differentiation:

Precious metal Additive
Manufacturing in the jewellery
sector
Rich in creativity and rooted in a long artisanal manufacturing heritage, one
would imagine that there can be few sectors as perfectly suited to embrace
the potential of metal Additive Manufacturing than the jewellery industry. In
reality, however, the sector continues to hold back on the full-scale adoption
of AM, despite numerous successes. In this article, Michela Ferraro-Cuda
considers progress to date in the adoption of precious metal AM in the
jewellery industry, and showcases a number of leading designers who have
leveraged the technology’s potential for innovation and differentiation.
Jewellery is a multifaceted and the support of tooling), whereas for aspect of production, further discus-
complex sector which is almost a piece of jewellery manufactured sion is needed on whether the value
impossible to consider as a single with faster, technology-based is different when AM is involved for
industry. This is in part because processes, the added value is based part of the production process, or
of cultural influences that play a on the perfect replication of the the entire process is based on the
significant role in differentiating the same design, in small or large scale, hand-modelling skills of an artist or
types of jewellery produced, and at a lower cost than if it had been artisan. This is a discussion that will
in part because of how jewellery is handmade. Regarding the artisan not find an easy conclusion, if any.
manufactured. Based on a particular
culture, nationality and market,
bespoke, small series or large series
collections might be more likely.
Considering the evident differences
between the type of jewellery made
by a skilful artisan or an artist, and
jewellery produced on a large or
even medium scale, it appears clear
that the processes and technologies
involved will differ – sometimes
substantially. It is essential to
comprehend these aspects of
the jewellery industry in order to
understand how precious metal
Additive Manufacturing, based mainly
on Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion
(PBF-LB) technology, has challenged
the sector to find its own niche.
Given the value of the materials
used, the added value of jewellery Fig. 1 A bracelet from the ‘Embrace’ collection by Marie Boltenstern consisting
manufactured by an artisan is based of rows of colourful 4 mm gemstones woven into additively manufactured
on the fact that it is handmade (with protective geometric spheres (Photo courtesy www.loupiosity.com)
Precious metal Additive Manufacturing | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
The backstory of AM in the

jewellery industry
Wax model makers were in high

demand until around fifteen to
eighteen years ago; their ability to
produce, for example, a mirrored
model for a pair of earrings, was
particularly highly valued. These
sculptural skills were not widely avail-
able in the market, but the models
they produced were the foundation
for any casting production run. Thus,
it was important for companies
Fig. 2 Inside the build chamber of a Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) to reserve their ‘spot’ with model
machine at Progol3D® Internal Projects, Titanium (Courtesy Progold S.p.A.) makers for each new collection from
one season to another.
The advent of Computer Aided
Design (CAD) software and the
associated rapid prototyping
processes – in essence the first
examples of Additive Manufacturing
– had a great impact on this aspect
of the jewellery industry. Faster and
more efficient prototyping ensured
that, first, larger companies (which
could afford to invest in this new
technology) and, later, medium and
even small companies (via a growing
number of service bureaux) were able
to maximise their production lines,
speed up collection launches and
optimise their related investments.
Reactions to the arrival of this new
technology varied: some complained
that designers no longer used their
creative talents, instead merely
exploiting the design features offered
by CAD, while others focused on the
new, unexploited potential of CAD and
rapid prototyping technologies. The
advent of new innovations in design
and manufacturing always challenges
the status quo, and the jewellery
sector – perhaps due to its traditional
heritage – is among the most suspi-
cious of new technologies.
Despite this initial suspicion, fast
prototyping processes had a very
successful evolution in the industry
and, in the years that followed,
the range and types of equipment
available to produce wax or resin
Fig. 3 PBF-LB build plates showing the support structures that are required models for casting greatly increased.
during manufacture. Multiple items can be ‘nested’ on such build plates, For some jewellery collections, it is
but designers need to consider carefully the locations of removable support preferable to additively manufacture
structures in order to minimise post-processing. Build by Progol3D® Internal a wax or resin ‘tree’ with the models
Projects, Titanium (Courtesy Progold S.p.A.) attached ready for casting. This offers
Fig. 4 An additively manufactured 18 Kt necklace by Nuovi Gioielli from the ‘Sound of Wings’ collection (Courtesy Nuovi
Gioielli S.R.L.)
significant advantages for volume So where in this landscape AM could reduce the weight of some
production, eliminating some process parts, or enable mechanical parts to
does precious metal
steps, saving time and keeping costs be manufactured in one piece rather
low.
Additive Manufacturing fit? than several assembled pieces. In the
It goes without saying, of course, jewellery industry, the same exercises
that over the years the jewellery The arrival of precious metal AM in did not yield such positive results. It is
industry has fully adopted other the jewellery market was met with true that reducing weight in jewellery
processes such as stamping, curiosity and enthusiasm, especially is one crucial factor, given the price of
electroforming and CNC machining among production departments and precious metal, but it is not the only
for medium to large production runs product developers. The immediate one. In fact, the same comparison
or to provide semi-finished/finished question was how both AM manu- exercise, investigating how a piece
parts. However, these processes facturers and potential adopters of jewellery currently produced by
require higher upfront investments could evaluate the potential of this casting or CNC would perform if
and must be used to manufacture new technology. The immediate produced by metal AM, could be very
very high numbers of a product to approach was to make a comparison misleading.
amortise the cost. These production against pieces of jewellery already A 2016 study carried out by
processes, therefore, are preferred manufactured using other technolo- Bulgari [1] reported on several trials
for collections where consistent and gies. I remember reading with great undertaken by the company. The
large scale production is planned, or curiosity the papers published on company’s team compared parts of
for collections with a higher mark-up, successful trials carried out in the their jewellery collection, in precious
such as those by luxury brands. aerospace industry, where metal and non-precious metal, made by
Fig. 5 These 18 Kt gold ‘Ojo’ pendants were created as part of a research project into the AM of complex jewellery
designs, with a particular focus on surface finish and polishing processes (Courtesy Frank Cooper, Birmingham School
of Jewellery, UK / Cooksongold)
the direct casting of an additively an early adopter of AM for precious enables the creation of new produc-
manufactured resin model, against metals, his approach is simple: if tion paths, such as the production of
pieces made by metal AM. The main a product already performs well a piece of jewellery in an alloy that
aspects analysed by this study were when manufactured using a selected would be problematic to process
density and conformity. The study technique, why should we consider using casting, such as platinum or
is thorough and detailed, taking switching the production method to titanium. In particular, he highlights
into consideration several metals Additive Manufacturing? The answer, how titanium Additive Manufacturing
and alloys, and represents a huge of course, is that we shouldn’t. Or at has opened up new opportunities
and extensive analysis comparing least – we more than likely shouldn’t. for jewellery brands and emerging
elements made using the two The investment involved in designers. Titanium is much lighter
different techniques. However, from adopting a manufacturing method than the traditional precious metals
the beginning, precious metal AM such as precious metal AM should used in jewellery, and thus offers
has had a disadvantage, which made not be considered for those pieces of the advantage of creating large,
it challenging for jewellery making: jewellery that can already be produced statement pieces without affecting
the surface quality of as-built parts. perfectly well using their current wearability. Precious metal AM has
Even if using the right combination of production method; where it should offered the opportunity for designers
parameters (scan speed, laser power, be considered is where the use of AM to think about jewellery production in
etc) might offer the desired quality, enables designers to challenge the a different way.
Bulgari’s team found that the process norm and produce jewellery designs, This seems to be the key point
time required to produce the piece which would be impossible to make of precious metal AM: that it allows
to the necessary quality would be by any other available manufacturing manufacturers and designers to think
too extensive, defeating the original technique. This is the key. in a way that was not possible before.
purpose. Damiano Zito, CEO of Progold Frank Cooper, Senior Lecturer and
However, having talked recently S.p.A., makes almost the same Centre Manager at the Centre for
with Ivano Torresan, CEO of Italian argument – he states that precious Digital Design and Manufacturing,
jewellery producer Nuovi Gioielli and metal AM should be adopted where it within Birmingham City University’s
Institute of Jewellery, Fashion and

Textile, agreed, underlining how
this technology offers the unique
possibility “to produce items of
absolute complex geometry,” as
long as designers understand the
principles behind the precious metal
AM design process, such as what can
be additively manufactured without
compromising the finishing process.
This takes us back to surface
finishing, which, along with build
quality, remains fundamental for
any product to be appreciated and
accepted in the jewellery industry.
Back in 2017, when I was completing
my MBA dissertation on the adop-
tion of precious metal AM in the
jewellery industry, surface quality
was confirmed as the most common
barrier. While surface quality may
not have a significant impact on a
mechanical part’s performance (and,
in most cases, aesthetics for mechan-
ical parts are not a high priority),
surface quality and aesthetics are
crucial considerations when deciding
whether to pursue Additive Manufac-
turing in the jewellery industry.
Other interviewees from the aero-
space and automotive industries were
surprised to find that this element
was such a key factor in our industry;
but the reality is that this has been
the foremost issue that has kept
precious metal AM on the sidelines
for some time. There are, of course,
many common requirements between Fig. 6 Platinum designs in the Nautilus range by Nuovi Gioielli (Courtesy Nuovi
a high performance mechanical Gioielli S.R.L.)
application in, for example, the
aerospace industry and a high quality
piece of AM jewellery. Both require
flawless manufacturing to full density, is met with great enthusiasm by technology. Now it seems that we are
totally free from porosity, in order to, makers and designers, but, when still waiting for a resolution.
in the one industry, deliver the neces- the time comes to invest capital in However, this situation has
sary mechanical performance and, in the technology, decision makers challenged the developers of
the other industry, to be polishable to have remained dubious. In some of precious metal AM technology and
the required level of an international the conversations I had with profes- the manufacturers of precious metal
jewellery label. sionals three years ago, a common alloys to improve the performance of
Additionally, the difficulty of idea was that, if this issue was not their systems and the quality of metal
adequately eliminating surface resolved, the major players in the powders used. In my conversations in
defects left by the supports needed field, be they the famous brand luxury 2017, some operators specified that
during a product’s build and, at jewellery designers or famous watch first trials had been conducted using
the same time, obtaining a smooth manufacturers, would not move the same grade of powder alloy as
and homogeneous surface has beyond sampling or testing precious used for casting, which was indicated
undermined the decisions of potential metal AM and this decision would as a possible cause for the poor
adopters. In the jewellery world, have an important impact on the rest consistency and results achieved.
the potential of precious metal AM of the industry’s perception of the In a recent conversation, though,
Damiano Zito clarified that, at the very

beginning of Progold’s research, the
same powder gave different results
when used in two different metal AM
machines. This suggests that, for
precious metal AM, a combination of
different factors must be considered
to achieve optimal results.
So, where are we three years
later? The investments made by alloy
manufacturers have been noticeable,
thanks in large part to the adoption of
advanced metal powder atomisation
technology to improve powders
performance. As a result, the surface
quality of precious metal AM products
is now far less rough and much easier
to finish. Damiano Zito confirmed this
point, saying that precious metal AM
“is ready”, but there remains the need
to find objects that are actually worth
additively manufacturing.
Design for AM and the

Fig. 7 18 Kt gold ring, part of a research project developed at Birmingham
need for jewellery-specific
School of Jewellery (Courtesy Frank Cooper, Birmingham School of Jewellery, education
UK / Cooksongold)
Ivano Torresan is confident that “the
technology is mature,” and with it the
market is accepting precious metal
AM. However, what is still missing
is the essential factor: designers
capable of getting the best from it.
Frank Cooper confirmed, from his
perspective as a lecturer, that as
a technology it is mature, “if the
designers understand how to get the
best from it.” Evidently, the factor now
keeping the technology on ‘stand-by’
is the need to create designs that can
push this revolutionary technology to
its maximum capabilities. As stated
before, there is no benefit in using
Additive Manufacturing to produce
jewellery which is already well-suited
to production by casting.
This challenge should not be
underestimated, because the result of
the need for new design knowledge is
a peculiar transition time. Old-school
designers, such as myself, are trained
to think in terms of subtractive
technologies and the new concept of
adding materials within the rigorous
Fig. 8 18 Kt gold rings, part of a research project developed at Birmingham parameters of Additive Manufacturing
School of Jewellery (Courtesy Frank Cooper, Birmingham School of Jewellery, requires a complete change of
UK / Cooksongold) mindset.
During my conversation with

Ivano Torresan, he suggested that
new generations of designers should
be taught Additive Manufacturing
from as early as primary school,
because the new way of thinking
involved in designing for AM will be
the future. Frank Cooper explained
how, within his programme at the
School of Jewellery (today part of the
Birmingham Institute of Jewellery,
Fashion and Textile), students are
taught the two separate different
approaches, stressing the major
differences between designing for
casting and designing for Additive
Manufacturing.
To promote the technology,
Cooksongold sponsors a dedicated
category for precious metal AM at
the Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design
Council Awards. Cooksongold
ensures that, in advance of submis-
sions to the competition, special
educational sessions are delivered
to those students who intend to
participate, explaining in detail the
specifics of precious metal AM and Fig. 9 Various items including a miniature 18 Kt gold galleon as built in a
providing a dedicated illustrated Precious M 080 PBF-LB system from EOS GmbH and Cooksongold (Courtesy
guide. As a major promoter of AM, Frank Cooper, Birmingham School of Jewellery, UK / Cooksongold)
with a passion for the technology,
I participated myself, mostly to
challenge my capacity to envision
designs suitable for AM, without
forgetting the importance of the
fundamentals of jewellery design
(Fig. 10). I managed to come in third
place for two years in a row, pushing
me to think smarter for my next
attempt!
Progold, too, through collabora-
tions with Istituto Europeo di Design
(IED) of Turin and other international
design schools, is proactively
promoting precious metal AM. With
the aim of “transferring knowledge
and expertise”, students are invited
to design the best pieces, balancing
style and suitability for AM. The
Progol3D® award ceremony is held
yearly during Vicenzaoro January, the
international event for the gold and
jewellery industries.
It is evident that education
is essential if the industry is to Fig. 10 The greatest challenge is to envision designs suitable for AM without
introduce and train new engineers forgetting the importance of the fundamentals of jewellery design. Top, the
and designers to the advantages of Hidden Garden concept; bottom, Memories of my Journey, evoking desert
precious metal AM; for example, dunes (Courtesy Michela Ferraro-Cuda)
knowing how an object will be

positioned on the build plate and
consequently supported, means
engineers and designers must also
understand how the spots left on the
surface of the part by the removed
supports will impact the finishing
process. An awareness of the entire
process required to design, addi-
tively manufacture and complete a
piece of jewellery is needed in order
to guarantee the exceptional quality
expected for precious items.
The ability to produce highly
detailed bespoke jewellery is
without doubt one of precious metal
AM’s most interesting features,
especially in light of the jewellery
sector’s recent movement towards
more personal and emotional
experiences; why, then, not revise
collections to produce smaller,
more bespoke ones? When
considering the great flexibility that
AM offers, although the investment
required to adopt this technology
may be higher than for most other
solutions, the product cycle as a
whole must be considered. Damiano
Zito commented that, often, even
if the cultural approach permits a
user to positively evaluate AM as
a production technology, it seems
that the industry is still missing the
capacity to evaluate its potential.
Ivano Torresan highlighted
another interesting point: high-end
jewellery brands often struggle to
consider AM as an option because
of the lack of available statistics
on its use. Their new product
development processes need
figures and numbers to determine
whether or not to invest in a certain
project; without such figures, the
enthusiasm shared by product
development and production teams
cannot find its way to the decision
makers. It is more likely that
emerging designers will have a
greater opportunity to take advan-
tage of AM, because of their more
flexible internal organisation and
desire to showcase the uniqueness
Fig. 11 A ring and bracelet in Marie Boltenstern’s ‘Resonance’ collection of their designs.
consists of eleven rows of additively manufactured 18 Kt yellow gold links joined An example of a fine jewellery
together. Inspired by natural animal-scale structures, the bracelet moves and company and an emerging designer
adapts to the wrist (Courtesy Marie Boltenstern / Bolternstern GmbH) collaborating to take advantage of
their respective positions in relation

to precious metal AM adoption
was highlighted by Frank Cooper.
Cooksongold recently partnered
with Marie Boltenstern, a jewellery
designer based in Austria, who
produces entire collections using
precious metal AM (Fig. 1, Fig. 11).
She has developed special interlinked
designs to exploit the full capabilities
of the technology, as well as encasing
precious beads by interrupting the
PBF-LB build process. Her brand
image takes full advantage of the use
of AM and the uniqueness it brings
to her designs, with the tagline ‘3D
printed fine jewellery’ featuring
heavily across the label’s communi-
cations.
Interlinked and modular designs
are, without doubt, one of the best
ways to showcase the capabilities
of precious metal AM for jewellery.
Products using these designs include
Nuovi Gioielli’s the ‘Zip bracelet’, with
its fabric-like pattern (Fig. 12), and
the ‘PixYourTime’ watch (Fig. 13).
Damiano Zito highlighted, as one
of the best applications of this, the
plain hollow volume rings produced Fig. 12 This zip bracelet in 18 Kt gold, additively manufactured by Nuovi Gioielli,
by Progold (Fig. 14), which eliminate makes maximum use of the design freedoms offered by the technology (Cour-
the need to solder parts together, as tesy Nuovi Gioielli S.R.L.)
would have been required if produced
with the lost-wax casting process.
What’s next for precious

metal AM in the jewellery
industry?
The conversation I had with Damiano

Zito revealed some interesting
progress: the development of
composite precious metal alloys
such as AuNb and AuTi (Fig. 15).
Alloy development and production
is Progold’s core business, so it
comes with no surprise that its
investments are now focused in this
direction. During the 2016 Santa Fe
Symposium, an annual conference
for the global jewellery industry, Zito
presented a paper which introduced
the concept of mixing the powders
of two different metals, such as
gold and titanium; the results were
promising and deserve further Fig. 13 The PixYourTime watch additively manufactured by Nuovi Gioielli using
investigation, including from the point a stainless steel (Courtesy Nuovi Gioielli S.R.L.)
of view of style. The alloys currently

available for precious metal AM
through three selected providers are
shown in Table 1.
Conclusion
There is a clear consensus in the

industry that, despite the technical
readiness of precious metal AM, a lack
of courage and willingness to change
currently hinders its adoption in the
jewellery industry. What is needed
is a cultural revolution, to create an
industry mindset which is capable
of envisioning the new opportunities
the technology offers, with more
open-minded and visionary managers
and decision makers, willing to think
beyond the traditional processes.
In the last three years, precious
metal AM has made little impact in
the industry. It appears to be stuck in
‘waiting mode’, as the industry learns
that, while it is not going to replace
any other production technology, it
is worth developing the knowledge
and understanding to take advantage
of what it can offer. All of the profes-
sionals interviewed for this article
agreed on the need to create more
opportunities for knowledge exchange
and sharing in this area.
Perhaps it would be worthwhile
to create a dedicated event just
Fig. 14 Plain hollow volume rings produced with the idea to eliminate the need
for precious metal AM. Creating a
to solder parts together, as would have been required if produced with the lost-
common platform would optimise
wax casting process, part of a collaboration between Progol3D® & IED Turin,
the industry’s efforts to exchange
Italy. Upper design: Anna Giulia Chicco, Red Gold, fineness 750%, alloy 5N+;
knowledge and understand where the
Lower design: Elisa Zignani, Yellow Gold fineness 750%, alloy 3N (Courtesy
technology fits in the industry, support
Progold S.p.A.)
the message that it has something
to offer and help to engage the major
players, other interested parties and
final customers.
This is necessary as, following
the arrival of precious metal AM,
an impactful change or shift in the
industry simply has not happened; we
now need to join forces and promote
dedicated studies on the potential
of such innovative technology in the
jewellery sector as a whole and not just
individually. Metal AM technology can
bring both innovation and differentia-
Fig. 15 An AM band produced using a gold and niobium powder blend. Weight is tion in what is already a dynamic and
12 g versus 16 g for regular palladium white gold. Premium white WGC colour, creative sector - why not join the
fineness 750%, manufactured by Progol3D® (Courtesy Progold S.p.A.) efforts?
Fig. 16 PBF-LB machines that are highly-suited to precious metal Additive Manufacturing are available on the market,
including the Precious M 080 from EOS GmbH and Cooksongold, and the Mysint 100 from Sisma S.p.A.
Author Frank Cooper Progold:*

Senior Lecturer and Centre
Platinum 950% (Pt950)
Michela Ferraro-Cuda is Course Manager-Centre for Digital Design
and Manufacturing at Birmingham Yellow Gold 750% (2N and 3N)
Director, MA Luxury Jewellery
Management, and a Lecturer Institute of Jewellery, Fashion and Red Gold 750% ( 5N+)
in Luxury Jewellery and Ethical Textile, part of Birmingham City White Gold 750% (G2Pd130)
Branding, at Birmingham City University. Frank has widely carried
Titanium Grade 1 (TiG1)
University, UK. She is also a free- out trials and experiments with the
EOS M080 by Cooksongold. Cooksongold:
lance jewellery consultant dedicated
to researching new combinations of Platinum/Ruthenium
precious and alternative materials, References Yellow Gold 18 Kt (3N)
combining new technologies with Red Gold 18 Kt (5N+)
artisan traditions.
[1] ‘Case Study of Problems and Their White Gold 18 Kt (premium)
Solutions for Making Quality Yellow Gold 14 Kt
michela@mfc-design.com
Jewelry Using Selective Laser
925 Sterling Silver
Melting (SLM) Technology’, Christina
Legor:
Acknowledgments Pogliani and Alberto Albertin,
Bulgari Gioielli S.p.A., as presented Gold 999% (24 Kt)
Thanks go to the following at the 2016 Santa Fe Symposium. White Gold 750% (PM-AU131P)
interviewees for their time in the Retrievable from www.santafesympo-
Yellow Gold 750% (2N and 3N)
preparation of this article. sium.org/2016-santa-fe-symposium-
papers/2016-case-study-of- Red Gold 750% ( 5N+)
Ivano Torresan problems-and-their-solutions-for- Platinum 950% (Pt950)

CEO of Nuovi Gioielli S.R.L. (Musso- making-quality-jewelry-using-selec- Silver 925%
lente, Vicenza, Italy), an early adopter tive-laser-melting-slm-technology
Bronze
of the very first version of My Sint 100
Copper
by Sisma S.p.A.
Brass
Damiano Zito Steel
CEO of Progold S.p.A. (Trissino, *only as part of a wider service
Vicenza, Italy), an alloy manufacturer
and AM service bureau. Table 1 Alloys available through three
representative AM providers
April 26-29, 2021

McCormick Place, Chicago, IL
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world-renowned American ingenuity drives the adoption and
advancement of the technology.
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| contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter | The unrealised potential of PBF-EB
Unrealised potential: The story

and status of Electron Beam
Powder Bed Fusion
In January, Boeing’s new 777X aircraft made its maiden flight, powered by
two GE9X engines from GE Aviation. Whilst this was a major moment for both
companies, it was also a huge milestone for Electron Beam Powder Bed
Fusion (PBF-EB), and the culmination of decades of process and material
development work at the driving force behind the technology, Arcam AB. Whilst
the many turbine blades used in the GE9X engine are the highlight of the first
chapter in the story of PBF-EB, there is also a lingering sense of unrealised
potential. Here, Joseph Kowen considers the story to date and highlights a new
generation of firms working to increase the technology’s adoption.
The metal AM world is blessed with a Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) vast majority of all PBF-EB machines
number of proven technologies that resembles PBF-LB, but lags far installed in the market. The question
have been diligently developed and behind in adoption, despite a is why does PBF-EB lag so far behind
improved upon over the past twenty promising value proposition in a PBF-LB in terms of adoption? In the
years. These technologies use a wide number of application areas. GE following article, we will examine the
range of feedstock materials such as Additive Arcam EBM is currently strengths and weaknesses of PBF-EB
powders, wires, rods and filaments. In the dominant provider of PBF-EB and PBF-LB, and try to predict where
some processes, energy sources are technology, and accounts for the PBF-EB is headed.
directly applied to these materials to
create a part, while other processes
produce ‘green’ parts which then have
to be sintered to produce functional
metal parts with appropriate metal-
lurgical properties.
When it comes to the business
of AM, there is currently only one
technology that has a significant,
if not outright dominant, position
in the market for metal Additive
Manufacturing: Laser Beam Powder
Bed Fusion (PBF-LB). The main
advantage of this technology is that
multiple parts, or even large parts,
are produced at a reasonably high
resolution, in a well-understood and
stable process requiring no secondary
sintering process, with predictable
results. The process is, of course, not
without its headaches and drawbacks. Fig. 1 GE Additive Arcam EBM is currently the dominant provider of PBF-EB
Technologically respected, though technology, and accounts for the vast majority of all installed PBF-EB
often overlooked, Electron Beam machines in the market (Courtesy GE Additive)
The unrealised potential of PBF-EB | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
How it works, and what

makes it different
Electron Beam Column
PBF-EB is an AM technology based
on the melting of metal powder by
Cathode
exposing it to a beam of electrons.
Astigmatism lens The process starts with the
spreading of a thin layer of metal
Focus lens powder on a build plate. The powder
Deflection lens is pre-heated by exposing the entire
layer to a stream of electrons. This
broad exposure of electrons heats
the powder to an appropriately high
Heat shield temperature based on the material
Powder Powder being used (Fig. 2). In the case of
Vacuum hopper hopper titanium alloys, such as Ti-6Al-4V,
chamber the powder is heated to about
Electron 800°C. Other materials require even
Beam higher temperatures.
An electron beam is deflected
by an electromagnetic field which
transfers energy and selectively
Recoater
fuses parts of the layer by raising
Powder the temperature of the pre-heated
Build tank powder to above the melting point of
Build the material being processed. After
platform melting of the selectively-fused
parts of the layer is completed,
the build platform is lowered and
a layer of fresh powder is spread
across the build area. Heating and
selective fusing of each successive
layer builds up the object into the
desired shape of the 3D model being
Fig. 2 Schematic sketch of a PBF-EB system (Courtesy GE Additive) produced.
The build process concludes once
all layers of the build corresponding
to the geometry of the part or parts
have been heated and selectively
A distant second Could an explanation for this be fused. Heated but unfused powder
that PBF-EB technology is newer forms a ‘cake’ around the fully-
PBF-EB has, literally and than PBF-LB? The electron beam fused part and needs to be removed
figuratively, been left in the dust has been known to science for more and recycled in a post-processing
by PBF-LB. Metal AM industry than 120 years, whereas the laser step. This is done by mechanically
consulting firm Ampower estimates was invented only sixty years ago. blasting the surrounding cake and
that the installed base of metal There is evidence in the literature removing excess material from
Powder Bed Fusion machines, which that early work on using an electron internal channels inside the part as
includes both PBF-LB and PBF-EB beam to melt metal powder was necessary.
machines, stood at 9,111 machines performed by a group at Katholieke The basic architecture of a
at the end of 2019 [1]. Using figures Universiteit in Leuven, Belgium PBF-EB machine includes an
published by the Wohlers Report in 1991. The leader in PBF-EB, electron beam source, electro-
in the years 2018–2020, we can Swedish company Arcam, began magnetic coils to guide the beam
estimate that only about 6% of using electron beams in the second to produce the desired shape and
these, around 510 units, are PBF-EB half of the 1990s. The first metal a build chamber with a moveable
machines [2]. This means that, PBF machines using lasers began build plate and powder spreading
for every PBF-EB machine sold, to be commercialised starting in apparatus. Typically, the maximum
providers of PBF-LB machines sold 1994, so there is not much of a time power output of the electron beam
more than sixteen machines. advantage for PBF-LB – if at all. is between 3–6 kW. Electrons are
Fig. 3 PBF-EB processing enables a virtually instantaneous positioning of the electron beam over the entire build area of
each layer (Courtesy Freemelt AB)
emitted from a heated filament or deflection mechanism has no mass tors found it more difficult to master,
crystal and accelerated by a high and no inertia, enabling a virtually although electron beams were used
voltage. The electromagnetic coils instantaneous positioning of the for many applications long before the
shape and position the electron electron beam over the entire build laser was invented.
beam similarly to how light is area of each layer (Fig. 3), and for Another reason may be that
focused and positioned by optical a large number of melt pools to be many potential users of metal AM
lenses and mirrors. The build processed simultaneously. Melting technology simply chose the path
chamber and the EB source remain powder using a laser necessitates of least resistance. This may or
under vacuum for the duration of the the serial fusing of different parts may not be true, but the unit sales
build process. It takes up to about an of the layer, or the use of multiple statistics do not lie. It is fair to say
hour to create the required vacuum. lasers, with important consequences, that PBF-LB has achieved a higher
At the end of the build, the chamber as shall be discussed. level of technical maturity – until now.
is filled with inert helium gas to Factors that may have existed in the
speed up the cooling process. After early days might make an interesting
a few hours of cooling in helium, the Common misconceptions study for historians looking at the
chamber can be safely opened and way new technology is adopted. What
exposed to air without risk of powder There are a number of commonly is of interest going forward is what
oxidation. held beliefs about PBF-EB that advantages and benefits PBF-EB
While the basic function and are either misguided or simply not might offer given what we know now.
output from the selective melting of accurate. Some of these myths and It is clear is that the AM industry
layers of metal powder is common to misconceptions derive from the fact continues to foster key misconcep-
both PBF-LB and PBF-EB, there are that PBF-EB lags significantly behind tions about PBF-EB. The existence
a number of key structural differ- PBF-LB commercially. The main of these misconceptions has been
ences between the two technologies. explanation that is offered for why an inhibiting factor to the further
Most significantly, PBF-LB requires this is so is that PBF-EB was a more development of PBF-EB. They should
a mechanical mirror deflection complicated technology in its early be put to rest if we are to realise
mechanism to scan a laser beam in a days of development. As a result, it and maximise the potential of the
vector process. In PBF-EB, the beam seems that technicians and opera- technology.
Fig. 4 Proprietary spinal cages on a build plate, designed for and manufactured using PBF-EB. Support structures are
limited to the attaching of the parts to the build plate (Courtesy Amplify Additive)
1. PBF-EB is similar to PBF-LB 3. The surface finish of PBF-EB parts 4. PBF-EB only works with expensive
As we have already seen, about is inherently rougher than PBF-LB specialist spherical powders
the only element in common is parts, and working with fine powders As with PBF-LB, the main reason
the fusion of powder by a source is problematic why current machines need spherical
of energy. The entire basis of Rougher surface finish has been the powder is due to state of the powder
operation is different, the physics generally available outcome due to the spreading technology in use today.
is different and the outcome and configuration of machines available The reality: improvements in
performance are different as a commercially. It was observed in early mechanisms for spreading irregular
result. The reality: PBF-EB is an PBF-EB tests that finer powders were powder will also enable the use of
independent technology that should repelled away from the powder bed less expensive powders for PBF-EB in
be considered on its own merits, due to an electrostatic charge, causing the future.
without relation to PBF-LB. an effect called the ‘smoke’ problem.
This resulted in a reticence to try 5. Unusually long cooling times
2. PBF-EB only works with a smaller grain sizes. make the process uneconomical
limited range of materials, mainly The reality: there is no proven Cooling is only one step in the overall
titanium reason that PBF-EB cannot work with process chain. The reality: overall
Whilst it is true that PBF-EB is finer powders and thinner layers. production throughput is what
associated closely with titanium, The smoke problem was assumed matters and the higher build rate for
there are historical and business to exist based on early observations PBF-EB compared with PBF-LB in
reasons for this. However, there for titanium. With the precise beam most cases more than makes up for
are no technical reasons that control available today, and the ability the cooling time required.
prevent the use of PBF-EB for as to optimise beam scanning algorithms
wide a range of alloy materials as for each application, successful 6. PBF-EB can’t make the large parts
is available for PBF-LB. What is PBF-EB processing of finer powders that we see made by PBF-LB
required is the development of open and thinner layers is certainly possible. In practice, PBF-EB is generally used
platforms for testing and optimising This can lead to the smoother surface today for smaller part applications.
processes for additional materials. finish of PBF-EB parts. However, there is no proven factor
that limits the size of parts. No

machines have been developed yet
for much larger parts, but, in fact, the
productivity of PBF-EB should scale
in a better way than PBF-LB, since
maintaining a hot process scales
favourably with size.
The PBF-EB difference
Making head-to-head comparisons

between the two PBF processes
can be misleading. For one thing,
performance might be geometry- or
application-dependent. However,
we can list a significant number of
intriguing features and differences, in
many cases outright advantages, that
paint a clear picture of the strengths
of the PBF-EB process.
Nested parts with limited support

structures
PBF-EB can be used to build large
numbers of small parts, or small
numbers of large parts, in a single
build. Small parts can be nested
in a build without the need to build
the number of support structures
commonly seen in PBF-LB, as the
powder cake serves as the support
structure (Figs. 4–5).
Homogeneous powder melting

An electron beam penetrates deeper
into the powder grains than a laser,
resulting in a more homogeneous
melting of the powder and the ability
to melt reflective materials without Fig. 5 Hip replacement cup implants tightly stacked with sintered powder
vaporising the surface of the powder between each part and no support structures (Courtesy GE Additive)
particle (Fig. 6).
A wider range of layer thicknesses

PBF-EB is highly productive and
works for a large range of layer
thicknesses. This gives the freedom
to tweak requirements of build speed
and surface finish, depending on the
application.
Processing in a vacuum
The melting process is conducted in a
high vacuum, the cleanest and safest
environment possible. Additionally,
the vacuum provides thermal EBM LASER
insulation and thus contributes to Fig. 6 Energy transfer in Ti64 powder using PBF-EB (left) and laser (right)
high energy efficiency. technology (Courtesy GE Additive)
Powder removal and post-

processing
Powder management and removal

is a critical part of all Powder Bed
Fusion processes and is often a
source of pain during and after the
build process. A related issue is
support removal. This is the case with
both PBF-LB and PBF-EB, and the
topic merits further elaboration.
The characteristics of the PBF-EB
build process allow parts to be built
with only a limited amount of support
structures, as already noted. The
supporting cake needs to be removed
and recycled by a powder blasting
Fig. 7 A shape cutter (Ø 120 mm) in the as-built state, manufactured using process, which occurs in a powder
PBF-EB by VBN Components AB from Vibenite® 290, an Fe/Co/W base material removal station after the build is
that combines high wear resistance and heat resistance. The component has a completed and cooled. The process
hardness of approximately 72 HRC (Courtesy VBN Components AB) uses the build process powder itself
as blasting media. The caked powder,
after removal, can be fully reused.
The process has been engineered
PBF-EB PBF-LB to remove the cake without any
Pro • Fewer and shorter • Removal of unfused detrimental effects on the physical
support structures powder integrity of the part. Removal of the
cake is a relatively efficient function
• No stress-relief heat
and only encounters difficulty in cases
treatment
where the caked material is located
• Excellent, permanent
inside internal channels.
pore removal by HIP
Powder removal in PBF-LB is
Con • Removal of powder cake • Labour-intensive support ostensibly easier. Since the powder is
• Challenges with internal structure removal not bonded in any way to the body of
channels • Burr removal/smoothing the part, its removal requires either
• Heat treatment for stress a manual process of removing the
relief powder through air pressure in a
• Careful pore elimination powder removal station, or, optionally,
by HIP with an automated powder removal
system used to remove all unfused
Table 1 The pros and cons of post-processing PBF-EB and PBF-LB powder from difficult-to-reach places.
components What one is left with is a clean,
powder-free part but with the support
structures in place.
Cost benefits when scaling up parts free from residual stresses. Another post-processing step
Electrons are inherently easier and This eliminates or reduces where PBF-EB excels is Hot Isostatic
cheaper to multiply to high beam the need for heat treatment, a Pressing (HIP). HIP is often manda-
power than laser light. This makes significant saving in process time tory to eliminate residual porosity
PBF-EB more scalable than PBF-LB and cost, and contributes to a in AM components used in fatigue-
for future ultra-fast Additive Manu- greater design freedom. Thanks critical applications. Any process-
facturing, potentially competing with to the superior thermal control of induced porosity in PBF-EB material
traditional manufacturing technolo- PBF-EB, brittle and crack-prone contains no gases and is irreversibly
gies for high volume applications. alloys can be successfully additively and permanently closed by HIP. This
manufactured (Fig. 7), expanding is in contrast to AM technologies
Less thermal stress the application of Additive Manu- carried out in a gas atmosphere,
PBF-EB is a hot process that facturing to materials that cannot where the porosity inevitably traps
maintains a high temperature be built with any other process, gas. Gas-filled pores are more
throughout the build, resulting in including PBF-LB. difficult to shrink by HIP and, even
more troublesome, they may expand

back to their original size if the AM Case study: CRIQ uses Arcam technology
part is exposed to high temperature.
In general terms, the post-processing for patient-specific jaw reconstruction
trade-off between the two PBF
processes is summarised in Table 1.
Cost per part
At the end of the day, users of AM

technology want to be able to produce
a part at lower cost. So which
technology offers the best deal? It is
cautionary at this juncture to say that
it depends on the geometry of the
part in question. The size of the part
and the number of parts that can be Québec’s CRIQ uses PBF-EB for patient-specific jaw reconstruction
produced in a single build will greatly (Courtesy CRIQ)
affect the economics. The bigger
the build volume of the machine in CRIQ is a state-owned organisation overall costs. “The business case
question, the greater the number of dedicated to industrial research isn’t in a part-to-part comparison;
parts that can be built at one time. and innovation in Québec, Canada. it needs to be justified through
There is, however, good evidence to It has collaborated with the CHU de system-wide impact. If a patient-
suggest that titanium parts produced Québec hospital to develop ground- specific implant can accelerate
by PBF-EB are less expensive than breaking solutions to improve patient recovery, reduce risk and
the same parts produced by PBF-LB. medical care. lower overall healthcare costs for
This may not be true for other alloys A team led by François Gingras, the Québec Government, then we
at this stage, since PBF-EB is pres- CRIQ’s Director of Industrial Equip- have a business case,” says François
ently heavily geared towards titanium ment, is now applying AM tech- Gingras.
alloys. In making the comparison, we nologies to transform how patient- As part of its AM strategy, CRIQ
measure total cost, which means that specific lower jawbone implants has been using a GE Additive Arcam
we include pre- and post-processing are designed and manufactured. EBM Q10plus machine since June
costs. This focus will allow CRIQ to offer a 2018. “The medical device industry
Information supplied by machine three-week turnaround of patient- is one of the pioneer industries
manufacturers is helpful in specific implants, compared to the for AM, in general, and PBF-EB in
understanding the part cost. GE current six weeks required when particular. AM enables companies
Additive Arcam EBM commissioned using traditional manufacturing. The to manufacture patient-specific
an independent study by Ampower, CRIQ team covers the design and implants and customised devices in
publishing the results in a GE Additive CAD drawing of implants, the AM small batch production, but still in
white paper on PBF-EB [3] and and post-processing of the implant a cost-effective, industrial process.
concluded that its EBM process (the and finally cleaning and sterilisation. This way, the technology perfectly
trademarked name for its PBF-EB This allows CRIQ to define serves the trend for more individu-
process) was “up to 50% less and influence pre-processing, alised treatments in healthcare,”
expensive per part.” design, testing and fabrication said Stephan Zeidler, Business
The example provided in the white machines and ensure consistency Development Manager Medical, GE
paper is a bracket which shows a and repeatability. The process of Additive.
clear advantage for PBF-EB. If we medical certification of additively “Improved patient care in
ignore the actual money values that manufactured mandibles through orthopaedics, implantology and
are reported in this white paper, Health Canada commenced in dentistry demands high-precision,
which could vary significantly based October 2017 and completion of perfectly fitting medical products. In
on part size, we can clearly see the certification requirements is medical and dental technology, there
the areas where PBF-EB has the expected this year – when CRIQ can is a demand for parts produced indi-
advantage: enter full production. vidually or in small batches which
CRIQ sees the business case must satisfy extremely high-quality
• Build preparation: Much easier
for patient-specific implants at a standards regarding materials and
for PBF-EB, due to simplified
machine level and looking at how workmanship,” he added.
support structure considerations
to improve patient lives and lower www.criq.qc.ca
and the possibility of 3D nesting
Build Volume Electron

Company Country Systems Materials
(mm) Beam Power
GE Additive Arcam Sweden Titanium, nickel alloy,
A2X 200 x 200 x 380 3 kW
titanium aluminide
Titanium, cobalt-chrome,
Q10plus 200 x 200 x 180 3 kW
copper
Q20plus 350 ø x 380 Titanium 3 kW
Spectra L 350 ø x 430 Titanium 4.5 kW
Titanium, titanium
Spectra H 250 ø x 430 aluminide, nickel alloy, 6 kW
tool steel
Freemelt Sweden 0-6 kW
ONE 100 ø x 100 Unlimited
variable
Tianjin Qingyan China Ti alloy, superalloy,
Zhishu Technology Lab200 200 x 200 x 240 copper alloy, refractory 3 kW
Co., Ltd. (Qbeam) metals
Med200 200 x 200 x 240 Titanium 3 kW
Ti alloy, nickel base
superalloy, copper
Aero350 350 x 350 x 400 3 kW
alloy, refractory metals,
titanium aluminide
Xi’an Sailong Metal China Titanium alloy, titanium
Materials Co., Ltd. S200 Production 200 x 200 x 200 aluminum, stainless 3 kW
steel, refractory metal
Titanium alloy, cobalt
Y150 Biomedical 150 × 150 × 180 chromium, tantalum, 3 kW
titanium tantalum alloy
Tada Electric Japan
(Mitsubishi Electric EZ300 250 x 250 x 300 Unknown 6 kW
group)
Table 2 Commercial machines on the market
• Cost of powder: Less expensive Experimenting with the tool and PBF-EB machines currently
for PBF-EB (for titanium) applying different scenarios to available
• Heat treatment: Much less titanium parts of various sizes and
costly for PBF-EB, if needed at quantities, the cost tool consistently There are a growing number of
all returns values in favour of PBF-EB. commercial and non-commercial
There are a number of conclu- machines on the market today. To be
• Build support removal:
sions to be drawn. The first is that considered commercial, the supplier
Generally a less complicated
PBF-EB is generally and inherently must have at least one machine
process than for PBF-LB
a less costly process than PBF-LB installed and operating in the market.
It is fair to say that, with the for a wide variety of titanium parts. Five manufacturers produce twelve
exception of support removal, the Even if the saving is often far less different models of commercial
advantages above are geometry- than the claimed 50%, in manu- machines (Table 2). In addition, four
agnostic. facturing applications even a 10% companies have announced the
Ampower also publishes an cost saving is significant. Finally, development of PBF-EB machines
online cost calculator tool that as more development is performed (Table 3).
estimates the cost of metal parts on materials and when PBF-EB
made by all the leading metal AM machine build volumes increase GE Additive Arcam EBM
processes. The tool is based on in future machines with higher GE Additive Arcam EBM is by far
extensive knowledge and analysis beam power, the cost advantage of the dominant supplier of PBF-EB
of metal AM machines by the firm. PBF-EB will only grow. machines today. It was the pioneering
Fig. 8 An Avio Aero turbine blade made on a GE Additive Arcam PBF-EB machine and used in the GE9X engine (Courtesy
GE Additive)
force in the commercialisation of the at elevated temperatures, yet it has machines to make the parts (Fig. 9).
technology and, for many years, was only half the weight of traditional The turbine blades are deployed in
the only supplier worldwide. Founded nickel-base superalloys, which is the new GE9X jet engine that powers
in Sweden in 1997, its first commer- a significant benefit for an industry the Boeing 777X aircraft, which first
cial machine was launched in 2002. where every kilogramme of saved flew in January 2020.
The company started trading on the weight results in large cost savings The potential of TiAl materials
NASDAQ OMX Stockholm exchange over the life of the engine. for jet engine applications was one
in 2012.
In 2018, the company was acquired
by GE, which had taken a controlling
stake in Arcam in 2016. Today, the “The potential of TiAl materials for jet
company is managed as part of GE
Additive. In August 2019, the company
engine applications was one of the drivers
opened a new 15,000 m2 Centre of behind the acquisition of Arcam by GE. TiAl
Excellence in Gothenburg, Sweden
which will eventually house up to 500 is a prime example of the unique PBF-EB
employees. capabilities – this material cracks easily if
Arcam made a conscious decision
early in its development to pursue processed with PBF-LB...”
high-value applications in the medical
and aerospace sectors. Its material
selection was limited primarily to In 2019, GE Aviation announced of the drivers behind the acquisition
titanium alloys and cobalt chrome. To that it had purchased twenty-seven of Arcam by GE. TiAl is a prime
these, they added titanium aluminide Arcam machines for turbine blade example of the unique PBF-EB
(TiAl), which is primarily used to production. Avio Aero, a GE Aviation capabilities – this material cracks
produce turbine blades for jet engines group company based in Cameri, easily if processed with PBF-LB at
(Fig. 8). TiAl has the required strength Italy, now operates more than forty low temperature.
Fig. 9 GE Additive Arcam machines at Avio Aero (Courtesy GE Additive)
GE Additive holds a dominant Freemelt AB of PBF-EB machines with open

position in the PBF-EB market. Also located in Gothenburg, parameters, they suggest, hinders
However, a spokesman for the Freemelt shares some of PBF-EB’s development of faster processes
company acknowledges that Swedish roots. As reported in a and new materials.
the Arcam management team separate article in this issue of The company’s first machine,
is welcoming of the entry of Metal AM, the driving force behind Freemelt One (Fig. 10), is designed
newcomers. They believe that the the company is the belief that as a tool to assist the industry with
expansion of material processes
for realising the full potential of
PBF-EB. It is a smaller-sized
“Freemelt believes that the number open-source machine optimised
for experimentation with new
of applications currently available for materials and process parameters
Additive Manufacturing is strongly in a cost-efficient way. Without the
ability to experiment, the material
suppressed by the limited number of choices will remain limited.
qualified materials.” The company claims that its

innovative electron beam source,
with a laser-heated cathode, has
much better beam quality at high
increased competition will help to what has been achieved until now power and better robustness than
attract attention to a technology that is only a fraction of the potential traditional designs. This allows
has yet to reach its true potential. of PBF-EB technology. Freemelt very high productivity when fitted to
The development of new materials believes that the number of production machines, thus making
and applications outside of the applications currently available for more applications economically
Arcam fold will, of course, be an Additive Manufacturing is strongly viable in the future. Although small
advantage for their business too and suppressed by the limited number compared with Arcam, Freemelt
a key to the future growth of PBF-EB. of qualified materials. A scarcity is the new player that has made
the biggest commercial impact

over the last year, with a handful of
machines shipped to customers in
Europe.
Tianjin Qingyan Zhishu Technology

Co., Ltd. (Qbeam)
Qbeam is a Chinese company
based in Tianjin, which offers three
machines in two build volumes.
The development team is led by a
group from Tsinghua University. The
company is not active outside of
China, as far as is known.
Xi’an Sailong Metal Materials Co.,

Ltd.
Another Chinese company, Xi’an
Sailong Metal Materials, has been
operating in Xi’an since 2013 and
offers two machines for aerospace
and medical applications. As with
QBeam, the company does not
appear to be active outside of China.
Tada Electric Company

Tada Electric is a Japanese Fig. 10 Freemelt One is designed as a tool to assist the industry with expan-
company belonging to the sion of material processes for realising the full potential of PBF-EB (Courtesy
Mitsubishi Electric group. It has Freemelt AB)
started to sell a production machine
called EZ300 and, as of May 2020,
their first machine had been sold
to Hyogo Prefectural University
in Japan. Another Tada machine Machines in development 2016. Its founders and the technical
developed for the Japan TRAFAM team behind the company come out
research programme, reportedly Wayland Additive of the semiconductor industry, which
has a build volume of 500 x 500 x Wayland was in the news in also uses electron beam technology
600 mm, which is thought to be September 2019 when it announced for semiconductor applications.
the largest PBF-EB yet developed. that it had raised a Series A funding Wayland has not yet brought any
This larger machine has yet to round. The company, based in West machines to market, but plans to
be commercialised. The EZ300 Yorkshire, UK, is a spinoff from show its first machine in November
machine is half the dimension in Reliance Precision Limited. It has this year, with its first sales slated for
each axis: 250 x 250 x 300 mm. been operating in stealth mode since 2021. In April, the company provided
Build Volume Electron Beam

Company Name Country Systems Notes
(mm) Power
Wipro3D & Indian
Institution of India Not specified Not specified Not specified Joint development
Science
1st system Not specified 6 kW
JEOL Japan
2 System
nd
Not specified 10 kW
Wayland Additive UK Not specified 300 x 300 x 450 Not specified
Ruselectronics Russia Not specified Not specified Not specified
Table 3 PBF-EB machines under development
Fig. 11 Acetabular cups manufactured by PBF-EB (Courtesy Lima Corporate)
more details on its technology, which by a powder blasting process. If, operators to stack parts free-floating
it calls NeuBeam. The ‘Neu’ stands in fact, the cake removal issue is to maximise use of the available build
for neutralise, as Wayland claims that ameliorated or avoided, it could volume. While it may be possible to
its machine completely neutralises present a productivity advantage over put in support structures by choice
the negative charging of metal powder other machines. to stabilise the build, this would
particles, which causes what is known That said, powder cake removal is eliminate an advantage that PBF-EB
as the ‘smoke’ effect. a mature process that has become has over PBF-LB on the issue of
support removal.
It remains to be seen how
“According to Wayland, whilst its process Wayland’s process works in real

life. Its future offering, as laid out in
is a hot process, the powder remains the company’s April press release,
looks intriguing and is certainly
unsintered around the parts. The biggest worth watching to see how it works
advantage of this, it suggests, is that the in practice when the machines reach
market in 2021. As with all new
machine can build parts without the powder technologies, it must face the test of
cake that otherwise needs to be removed by real parts manufacture.
a powder blasting process.” JEOL

JEOL is a Japanese equipment
manufacturer and a well-known,
According to Wayland, whilst its effective and continues to improve. long-standing supplier of electron
process is a hot process, the powder It is also not clear how the Wayland microscopes and lithography
remains unsintered around the process compensates for the benefits machines. It is a member of Japan’s
parts. The biggest advantage of this, that the powder cake provides: a TRAFAM future AM project, a
it suggests, is that the machine can combined support structure and government-sponsored programme
build parts without the powder cake heat sink that is not integral to the to develop new capabilities in a range
that otherwise needs to be removed parts and, at the same time, allowing of AM technologies. The project has
developed two test-bed machines. machines that have led the race until Author
The second test-bed, set up in 2018, is now. We can expect many positive
equipped with a 10 kW electron beam, developments in PBF-EB.
Joseph Kowen is an industry analyst
the most powerful yet seen. What is certain is that the industry
and consultant who has been involved
owes Arcam EBM and its investors
in rapid prototyping and Additive
Wipro3D a debt of gratitude for its grit and
Manufacturing since 1999. He is a
Wipro3D announced the joint perseverance in bringing PBF-EB to
principal of Intelligent AM, a consul-
development of an PBF-EB machine market and leading its advancement
tancy on Additive Manufacturing
together with the Indian Institute of so far. New participants, standing as
serving the business and financial
Science in December 2019. No further they do on the shoulders of those that
communities.
information about the machine and its went before them, are now joining in
configuration is known at this stage. and helping to take PBF-EB into the
Joseph Kowen
next phase of its development. The
Intelligent AM
Ruselectronics underpinnings for this renewed and
Tel: +972 54 531 1547
Ruselectronics is a Russian holding growing interest in electron beam
Joseph.Kowen@intelligent-AM.com
company that is developing an for AM are interesting physics, good
www.intelligent-AM.com
PBF-EB machine. The development metallurgy and – most importantly
work will be performed by Toriy – attractive economics compared to
Scientific Production Association. No laser-based machines. References
further information has been made New advancements in PBF-EB
public about the project at this stage. over the past five years have eclipsed
[1] Ampower Report, www.additive-
all of the accumulated developments
manufacturing-report.com/additive-
in the previous twenty years. That is
What does this all mean and manufacturing-market/#001
the way of technological evolution in
where is PBF-EB heading? many cases; it is not always a straight
[2] Wohlers Report 2020, www.
wohlersassociates.com
line of growth. A segment that was
Compared to other AM processes, led for so many years by a single [3] www.ge.com/additive/download-
PBF-EB has gotten off to a slow start. dominant player is transforming into ebmwhitepaper
However, the marathon that is the an inquisitive, robust and resourceful
broader industrialisation of AM is marketplace of innovation and new
far from over. For a start, there will ideas.
never be a single winning technology, Whichever way we choose to view
inasmuch as there is not a single and describe the latest developments
application for AM technology. That in PBF-EB, it is undeniably an
said, in the relative positioning of the interesting time for electron beam
Powder Bed Fusion technologies, we technology in AM. We shall continue
see a surge in the interest and devel- to watch the next stage in the
opment of electron beam technology marathon with eager anticipation. The
as an alternative to the laser-based industry has a long way yet to run.
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Vol. 6 No. 2
| contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter | Freemelt AB: Open source PBF-EB
Freemelt AB: Open source

technology to explore the
potential of Electron Beam
Powder Bed Fusion
A new wave of AM machine manufacturers focused on Electron Beam Powder

Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) is looking to capitalise on what is perceived as a process
with significant untapped market potential. One of the most prominent of these
newcomers is Freemelt AB, a developer of open source machines designed to
help broaden the PBF-EB material portfolio and application areas. As Metal AM
magazine’s Emily-Jo Hopson-VandenBos reports, co-founders Ulric Ljungblad
and Ulf Ackelid have no doubt as to the opportunities ahead.
Sweden is famed for many fine This changed in 2017 with the its development, to grow its team
things; summerhouses, long foundation of Freemelt AB. The and expand its offering to the metal
summer evenings, plenty of crayfish, company now numbers seventeen AM machine market. This same
and, of course, electron beam-based employees and launched its first venture capital fund was, of course,
Additive Manufacturing. The city PBF-EB machine, the Freemelt ONE, an early investor in Arcam AB.
of Göteborg has for decades been in early 2019. In September 2019, Commenting on the mission
at the heart of all things related to in a funding round led by Swedish behind Freemelt’s establishment,
Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion venture capital fund Industrifonden, Ulf Ackelid, Senior Scientist,
(PBF-EB). The founders of Freemelt the company raised €1.4 million for explained that its co-founders
AB, Ulric Ljungblad and Ulf Ackelid,
are a key part of this story, together
accumulating more than twenty
years of service at PBF-EB pioneer
Arcam AB, now part of GE Additive.
During this period, they are credited
as the inventors of more than 30%
of all the patents assigned to the
company.
As is often the way with such
innovative technologies, clusters
of companies are formed as
employees leave the first company
and start their own firms, perhaps
leveraging niche opportunities,
focusing on materials development
or even exploiting the technology
as end-users. With PBF-EB such a
cluster failed to materialise and as a
result, the wider growth of PBF-EB Fig. 1 View into the Freemelt ONE Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion system’s
applications stalled. build chamber (Courtesy Freemelt AB)
Freemelt AB: Open source PBF-EB | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
Freemelt ONE: An enabler

for the advancement of
PBF-EB
As a PBF-EB specialist, Freemelt

has since its foundation pursued its
mission to first introduce a small,
open source material development
system to the market, and to grow
the organisation in order to be able to
deliver even more powerful PBF-EB
technologies for future industrial
systems. “Our experience taught us
that the key to success with AM in
general, and PBF-EB in particular,
is the development of viable applica-
tions with a good business case,”
stated Ulric Ljungblad, Freemelt’s
CEO.
“We also know that developing
new applications is a time-
consuming and detail-driven pursuit.
To achieve that, one first needs a
platform that is open and on which
you can try new materials and
innovative beam scanning strategies.
There are thousands of metal alloys
Fig. 2 Freemelt ONE’s frame structure does not require an outer shell, giving out there and, without a broad
open access to all ports on the vacuum chamber. If needed, this frame can be community having the possibility
modified easily to connect third-party R&D equipment (Courtesy Freemelt AB) of experimenting with them, AM
processes using them might never be
developed. Material development in
PBF-EB is the single biggest hurdle
shared the opinion that PBF-EB markets had the greatest practical limiting the broader adoption of the
had not yet realised its full chance of success. It also enabled process,” he added.
potential. “It was lagging behind product development goals that This goal resulted in the Freemelt
laser PBF systems in market fitted within the resources available ONE. The company’s intention for
acceptance, yet our belief was at the time for a technology initially the future is to launch a scaled up
that there was so much more that deemed complex and sensitive, in production system fully prepared
the technology could offer. Our part because of its vacuum require- for AM factory integration, based on
objective in founding the company ment. “Because of the perceived materials and processes developed
was to facilitate the development of complexity of the technology, Arcam on the machine. The Freemelt ONE
new applications and new materials remained the sole PBF-EB equip- is therefore tailored for materials
for PBF-EB through an open ment manufacturer on the market research and development, but with
source platform. Our plan is to take for a long time,” he explained. a view to industrial production, and
electron beam technology for AM to Over the years, PBF-EB has has a build envelope of 100 mm high
the next level.” matured into a robust and reliable x 100 mm in diameter. The machine’s
But why did PBF-EB lag so technology, but the available vacuum chamber is equipped with
far behind PBF-LB? According material portfolio is still extremely thick steel walls having a high
to Ackelid, there are multiple limited when compared to Laser stiffness to prevent thermal distor-
historical and commercial reasons. Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB). tion, and uses all-metal seals and
Early PBF-EB efforts were limited “With new players entering the differential pumping solutions to
to mainly one material class, tita- PBF-EB field, including Freemelt ensure an excellent vacuum quality.
nium alloys, and geared toward just and others, we expect to see a boost The linear motion of its recoater is
two high-end market segments: in new materials as well as produc- actuated by a mechanism positioned
aerospace and medical. This early tivity. The unexplored potential of outside the vacuum chamber; this
focus is understandable, as these PBF-EB is huge.” offers increased durability, since it
is not exposed to extreme process

conditions and can be accessed and
serviced easily (Fig. 3). The design
and properties of the recoater
blades and the overall design of the
recoater can be further modified
and optimised by the user, and the
movement of the recoater and the
powder feeding pistons can also be
programmed without restrictions.
As it was destined for research
environments, the Freemelt ONE was
designed from its start to be versatile
and user friendly. The machine’s
frame structure does not have an
Fig. 3 The linear motion of Freemelt ONE’s recoater is actuated by a
outer shell, giving open access to
mechanism positioned outside the vacuum chamber; this offers increased
all ports on the vacuum chamber. If
durability, since it is not exposed to extreme process conditions (Courtesy
needed, this frame can be modified
Freemelt AB)
easily to support third-party R&D
equipment connected to the system.
Further, there are two operating
sides to separate powder handling
from machine operation: the door
side, where the operator loads
powder into the vacuum chamber
and removes built parts, and the
viewport side, from which the
operator observes and controls the
PBF-EB process.
“Freemelt ONE has been tailored
for material R&D right from the start,
in software as well as in hardware,”
explains Ackelid. The machine’s
physical and software architecture
enable virtually every parameter to
be changed and experimented with,
among them new powder composi- Fig. 4 Detail view of the electron gun on a Freemelt ONE machine (Courtesy
tions, particle size distributions, layer Freemelt AB)
thicknesses, recoating sequences,
beam power and speed, beam
scanning patterns, spot melting, processing and very high powder with specific hardware, abstracting it
powder bed temperature, controlled bed temperatures over 1200°C. into an API: a controller implements
melt pool cooling, and more. This enables the hot processing sequences and functions that use
The electron beam source of crack-sensitive materials and one or several services; a build
is a diode-type source with a refractory metals. processor runs the actual build
laser-heated cathode. The reported Thanks to the machine’s small by executing a build file provided
advantage of this source type is build tank and lean powder feeding, by the user, sending commands
its consistent beam spot quality tests can be run with very small to controllers and services; a user
throughout the entire beam power powder quantities, avoiding the need interface provides information and
range from 0–6 kW. Freemelt ONE to work with large and expensive receives commands for the build
thus allows users to operate the containers of powder. The machine’s processors, controllers and services;
electron beam at very high beam small, 70-litre vacuum chamber and an arbiter prioritises between
currents while still maintaining a and high-capacity pumps enable the the different actions while a data
well-focused beam spot; essential chamber to pump down and cool share interface records and passes
to reach high build rates as well as relatively rapidly. relevant data.
extremely high build temperatures. Freemelt ONE’s software is The electron beam in Freemelt
At the high end of the beam power created ‘bottom-up’ in layers to ONE is controlled by complex
range, 6 kW, the machine offers fast ensure stability. A service interacts magnetic fields created by many
Freemelt AB: Open source PBF-EB | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
Fig. 5 Observing hot processing in the Freemelt ONE (Courtesy Freemelt AB)
magnetic coils acting together. The advantages and forget the metallurgy,” Ljungblad
This is made possible by the adds. “The purity of 3D printing in
weaknesses of PBF-EB
company’s in-house developed vacuum results in the highest quality
Field Construct software, which material. Nobody can deny that a
leverages computing power rather Asked what he considered the main good vacuum is orders of magnitude
than complex hardware. The result strengths of PBF-EB, Ljungblad cleaner than the most purified inert
is faster positioning of the electron explained, “The main advantage is gas available.”
beam to the right place at the the high beam power achievable In terms of PBF-EB’s weak-
right time. An advanced trigger with electron beams and vacuum nesses, Ljungblad believes that
and data acquisition system is processing. These unique features many of the perceived weaknesses
integrated with the beam control enable high-temperature processing are in fact, misconceptions. “Avoiding
data path. This data acquisition that avoids the need for heat treat- them is just a question of resources
system records high-rate sample ment of parts and support structures, and development,” he noted. For
data from sensors in Freemelt ONE in many cases.” Moreover, he example, Freemelt believes that
where the trigger system is used to explained that these features enable the surface finish of PBF-EB
synchronise sampled data with the the processing of a wide range of parts could be greatly improved if
melt process. high-value materials which it would processes were developed to that
The first Freemelt ONE was be impossible to process by any end. As an example, Fig. 6 shows
installed in March 2019 at Friedrich- other AM technology, including the two geometries in 316L stainless
Alexander-Universität, Erlangen- competing PBF-LB. steel, one built with 15–53 μm
Nürnberg, Germany, and systems These advantages, alongside powder and 30 μm layers (left) and
have since been delivered to several the fast build rate made possible one built with 53–150 μm powder
locations in Europe, the most by high beam power and virtually and 100 μm layers. Both builds ran
recent in May 2020 to the Chair for instantaneous beam positioning, are smoothly without smoke events or
Hybrid Additive Manufacturing at key factors in the microstructure other issues. As can be expected, the
Ruhr-Universität Bochum, also in control, productivity and versatility fine powder and thinner layers give
Germany. of the technology. “We should not a notably better surface finish. “That
is the point of its open system: to

facilitate this type of process develop-
ment” he stated.
In addition, Ljungblad believes the
powder cake removal process can
be engineered to a higher level of
performance and is not an obstacle
for PBF-EB either technically or
commercially. “On the contrary,” he
explained, “the powder cake resulting
from PBF-EB processing is a prereq-
uisite for several of the advantages of
PBF-EB we have mentioned. Powder
removal from internal structures,
especially narrow cooling channels, Fig. 6 Two geometries in 316L stainless steel, one built with 15–53 μm powder
is challenging for any Powder Bed and 30 μm layers (left) and one built with 53–150 μm powder and 100 μm
Fusion technology, especially using layers. Each build plate is 100 mm in diameter and the powder was supplied
hot processing, but here we also see by Carpenter Additive. Both builds ran smoothly without smoke events or other
new solutions evolving.” issues. As can be expected, the fine powder and thinner layers give a notably
better surface finish (Courtesy Freemelt AB)
Looking ahead to the

potential of PBF-EB
On the future of PBF-EB Additive

Manufacturing, Ljungblad believes the
segment is headed into a new phase
of growth that will propel it toward
greater acceptance and broader
application. “GE Additive/Arcam has
done an excellent job of laying the
foundations of the electron beam
AM segment, now more companies
Fig. 7 Test bars built made from a Cu-70Al powder blend for catalyst structures
are being attracted into the field,”
by the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, the first Freemelt ONE
he stated. “We believe that all of the
customer (Courtesy University of Erlangen-Nuremberg)
system manufacturers, including
GE Additive, will benefit from better
knowledge and increased competition
with more players, since the potential The overall benefits of increased Contacts
market is still mainly unaddressed.” education, understanding and
In order to widen their knowledge acceptance of PBF-EB will be seen
Ulric Ljungblad, CEO
of PBF-EB technology and its by all companies with a stake in this
Ulf Ackelid, Senior Scientist
markets, Ackelid encourages those technology, said Ljungblad. “The
Freemelt AB
companies and institutions wishing rising tide will lift all boats. We are
Bergfotsgatan 5A
to explore the potential of PBF-EB proud to be a leader and innovator
431 35 Mölndal
to start with the Electron Beam in this fast-growing market, which
Sweden
Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) we believe will help broaden the
conference, an international, biennial use of AM processes for sustainable
3drevolution@freemelt.com
conference. EBAM2020, originally manufacturing, for the benefit of
www.freemelt.com
set for March but postponed due to system providers and our customers.”
the coronavirus (COVID-19), is now As for those who are unsure why open
planned for October 5–7 this year in source matters so much in applica- EBAM2020
Erlangen, Germany. “EBAM covers the tion and technology development, For more information on the Electron
latest developments and applications Ackelid stated, “Put yourself in the Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM)
of PBF-EB,” he explained. “It is a driver’s seat; select your own powder, conference (EBAM2020), visit
primary vehicle for educating the process it the way you want and www.ebam.fau.de
scientific and business communities investigate, discover and innovate. Go
on the potential of electron beam AM.” where you want to go!”
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| contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter | Bugatti: In pursuit of perfection
In pursuit of perfection:
A case study on how Bugatti
and APWORKS leverage the full
potential of AM
It is far too easy to overuse superlatives when speaking about hypercars or
Additive Manufacturing. When the discussion combines both – Bugatti’s new
driver-focused Chiron Pur Sport and a high-performance AM component that
truly pushes today’s processes to their limits – the result is worthy of a closer
look. In the following in-depth case study, Bugatti and APWORKS explain
the requirements, development and production of the Chiron Pur Sport’s
exhaust finisher and share insight into some of its hidden details, from lattice
structures to nature-inspired honeycomb reinforcements.
France’s Bugatti Automobiles road use. At approximately 22 cm tive technology, too,” stated Stephan
S.A.S., famous for its ultra-high long, 48 cm wide and 13 cm high, Winkelmann, President of Bugatti.
performance hypercars, was one of the finisher weighs just 1.85 kg “In addition to the iconic 8 litre
the early adopters of metal Additive including grille and bracket – some 16-cylinder engine with 1,500 HP,
Manufacturing in the automotive 1.2 kg less than the finisher on a technical innovation is just as much
sector. The company has developed standard Chiron. part of our brand essence – such as
numerous components using “Bugatti is all about French-style our components made of titanium or
Additive Manufacturing, many in luxury and exceptional vehicles, but a special alloy that are produced by
partnership with APWORKS GmbH, it’s a brand that stands for innova- 3D printing.”
Taufkirchen, Germany. One compo-
nent type that Bugatti has gained
significant experience of developing
by Additive Manufacturing is the
high-performance exhaust finisher.
These have been fitted to a number
of cars in the Chiron range since
2018, including the Chiron Sport, the
La Voiture Noire, the Grand Tourisme
and the Centodieci.
Most recently, a metal additively
manufactured exhaust finisher was
developed and manufactured by
APWORKS for the newly developed
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport. With this
application, Bugatti has become
the first company in the automotive
industry to use Additive Manufac-
turing to produce exposed titanium Fig. 1 The Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport was developed with a focus on driving
exhaust finishers for series produc- dynamics, with metal Additive Manufacturing contributing to weight savings
tion that are officially approved for and improved aerodynamics (Courtesy Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.)
Bugatti: In pursuit of perfection | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
Fig. 2 The lightweight and temperature-resistant additively manufactured exhaust tailpipe finishers produced by
APWORKS (Courtesy Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.)
Saving weight through AM tear if made using other techniques where it really mattered. The exhaust
such as forging or forming.” This is an tailpipe is just one part of the
where it matters
ideal production method for Bugatti: complex rear design of the Chiron
lightweighting can be at the heart Pur Sport, which has a new aerody-
The impressive 39% weight reduction of a design, there are no tool costs, namic configuration that generates
achieved on the finisher of the Chiron production is comparatively fast and more downforce, while reduced
Pur Sport is thanks to an innovative individual adjustments to the design overall vehicle weight contributes to
but highly challenging Additive are easily possible. Complex organic the car’s increased agility.
Manufacturing-enabled design. Nils geometries can also be developed, “By cutting weight by 50 kg,
Weimann, Head of Body Development often inspired by the natural world, as while simultaneously boosting
the downforce and configuring an
uncompromising, sporty chassis
“This is an ideal production method for and suspension setup, the Chiron
Pur Sport boasts incredible grip,
Bugatti: lightweighting can be at the sensational acceleration and
heart of a design, there are no tool costs, extraordinarily accurate handling. It’s
the most uncompromising yet agile
production is comparatively fast and Bugatti of recent times,” explained
individual adjustments to the design are Winkelmann. The reduced mass

of the exhaust finisher contributes
easily possible.” to the car’s new aerodynamic
configuration, which is designed
to contribute to both agility and
at Bugatti, explained, “The advantage is the case in this application. dynamic cornering. Through the use
of the 3D printing process lies in the In particular, the use of Additive of titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V, with its
geometric shapes that are possible. Manufacturing enabled the develop- high heat resistance and strength,
It is possible to create very finely ment of an exhaust finisher with very the AM exhaust tailpipe is also highly
wrought, complex forms which would thin walls; this helped to save weight temperature resistant.
Designing with (almost)

no limits
The AM exhaust finisher fits into

Bugatti’s strategy of lightweighting
to maximise the speed, driving
experience and agility of the
vehicle. Because the design of
the finisher pushes metal Addi-
tive Manufacturing to its limits,
various optimisations were applied
during its development. These go
beyond features intended to simply
reduce the weight of the part
while maintaining or improving on
performance, and take into account
the requirements of the whole
manufacturing process.
The exhaust finisher’s develop-
ment process was supported by
APWORKS’ engineers and the result
was a part with extensive high
vertical walls and wall thicknesses
as low as 0.4 mm in places. The
part’s design takes into account
many factors, from a safe and stable Fig. 3 The filigree lattice structures used in the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport
manufacturing process to the most exhaust finisher (Courtesy Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.)
efficient build time and ease of
support structure removal after the
build. Whilst designing supports for by connecting them, guaranteeing application, the pattern enables the
ease of removal, their function and dimensional accuracy, and enabling highest possible dimensional accu-
performance for in-process heat minimal use of material. racy for the thin walls by distributing
transfer also has to be calculated “Wherever possible, we designed tension all over the affected surfaces
in order to ensure the highest the exhaust finisher for the Chiron and increasing stiffness.
dimensional accuracy. Pur Sport with a single layer so “We use a bionic honeycomb
With this in mind, some of the as to further reduce weight,” structure in the single-layer area
biggest challenges faced by the explained Weimann. “The minimal to increase the surface rigidity of
design team when reducing wall material thickness in multi-layer the walls. Even large components
thicknesses to such a low value areas is made possible by its lattice gain a high degree of surface
were heat transfer, dimensional structure – where the cavity is filled stiffness,” stated Weimann (Fig. 4).
deviations, and in-process insta- with numerous filigree struts. In Thanks to the use of an outer wall
bility. The solution that APWORKS’ this way, the walls provide stable which is double-layered for thermal
engineers turned to in order to support for each other during the insulation, the filigree cover is still
overcome these challenges was construction process – enabling able to withstand temperatures of
generative design. minimal use of material.” Through over 650°C. In this way, the cover
this process, volumetric mass was protects surrounding components
Lattice structures decreased by 70% (Fig. 3). from excessive heat under full
Lattice structures are very well engine load. At the same time,
known in the world of AM. To Honeycomb patterns fresh air around the cover cools the
achieve this design feature, an Another design feature which is component.
initial volume is converted into made possible by AM and widely
a generative design model by used in the lightweighting of AM machine selection
replicating a small representative components is the application of a High-end Additive Manufacturing,
unit – the unit cell – over the whole honeycomb pattern onto a desig- the related post-processing solu-
designated geometry. This design nated surface. Inspired by nature, tions and software are evolving at
feature offers many advantages; this geometry acts as a stabilising a fast pace. When considering the
foremost, it reinforces two thin walls feature for the thin walls. In this most suitable AM systems for a
Fig. 4 The nature-inspired honeycomb pattern applied in Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport exhaust finisher acts as a stabilising
feature for the thin walls (Courtesy Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.)
project with complex requirements qualification, a supplier proves that actual serial production to represent
such as the exhaust finisher, system every defined requirement is not the later certified status of a final
build size and speed are crucial. In only met, but also validated through part.
this case, production takes place on testing, and certified by independent Once qualified, it was time to
an EOS M 400-4, a four laser Powder testing institutions where necessary. take the part to serial production.
Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) system that Qualifications such as these usually Joachim Zettler, Managing Director
offers a high level of productivity. cover areas such as whether a part of APWORKS, stated, “We are proud
meets dimensional tolerances, and to be part of this impressive new
requirements like heat resistance, hypercar development by Bugatti.
The twin challenges corrosion resistance and insensitivity It is the first visible 3D printed
of qualification and against abrasion. In this case, part out of titanium receiving road
homologation the surface and heat resistance homologation. We could only realise
properties of the part needed to be this innovative tailpipe by pushing
This application is a rather unique tested and confirmed by independent Additive Manufacturing technology to
example of a fully optimised certified testing laboratories working the limit. Smallest wall thickness of
high-performance part enabled by within Volkswagen Group standards. below 0.5 mm enable the extremely
Additive Manufacturing that fulfills As part of the serial production lightweight design.”
both the highest quality standards qualifications within an automotive
for road use, as well as homologa- OEM environment, a special process
tion – the approval process a named ‘sampling’, similar to FAI The serial Additive
vehicle is required to go through for or PPAP, was executed. In this Manufacturing workflow
certification to race in a given league procedure, new or changed parts
or series. need to be inspected with regards The exhaust finisher’s design truly
For this to be achieved, before to all requirements communicated tested the limits of what is possible
entering serial production a major either by the technical drawing or using AM, and in particular what
quality management process valid OEM-specific standards. These parts it is possible to serially produce.
had to be undertaken in the form inspections were conducted with To manufacture a high-quality part
of qualification. In undergoing a sample part prior to beginning requires several software- and
Fig. 5 Rear view of the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport showing the additively manufactured titanium exhaust finisher
(Courtesy Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.)
hardware-based tools, as well as for failure mode analysis – all of which parameters such as laser power and
the production steps to be planned are covered under the concept of scanning speed must be optimised
and executed so that they fit together Design for AM (DfAM). for the exacting requirements of
perfectly in an effective workflow. Once the geometry was fixed highly-loaded parts, and need to be
After the part’s design was and the design could be released expertly adapted to achieve thin wall
released by Bugatti, APWORKS’ to APWORKS, AM data preparation and lattice features such as those
engineers commenced the work to began. This process includes utilised in the exhaust finisher. This
process ends at the point of the
machine interface, where the part
data is finally transferred from design
“Machine parameters such as laser power software to Additive Manufacturing
and scanning speed must be optimised machine.
for the exacting requirements of highly-

Post-processing
loaded parts, and need to be expertly
adapted to achieve thin wall and lattice After each successful build, various
post-processing steps are applied
features such as those utilised in the to achieve the required mechanical
exhaust finisher.” properties and component perfor-

mance. Heat treatment in an inert
atmosphere at over 700°C is used
to relieve the high internal stresses
prepare it for production by Additive positioning and aligning the part on generated within titanium parts
Manufacturing through the use of the build platform, generating support during PBF-LB Additive Manufac-
various digital tools. These supported structures, and optimising the design turing. Following cooldown, parts can
not only AM production related process by developing suitable build be handled safely in different manual
considerations, but also cost and process parameters, etc. Machine and automated metal processing
steps in order to remove support

structures, smooth surfaces and
increase dimensional accuracy.
The mechanically finished parts
are subsequently coated with a highly
temperature resistant matt black layer
consisting of small ceramic particles,
capable of withstanding temperatures
of up to 1100°C, while both insulating
the part and creating a smooth
surface.
The whole process is controlled
using various quality assurance meas-
ures. These are primarily split into
quality management system control
steps according to DIN EN 9100 and
dimensional testing, which includes
processes such as 3D scanning and
manual testing.
The latest in a series of AM

exhaust components for a
record breaking car
The Chiron Pur Sport exhaust finisher

Fig. 6 The exhaust finisher seen in cross section during the build process on is not the only part of this type
the EOS M 400-4, Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) system produced for Bugatti by APWORKS.
(Courtesy APWORKS) In 2019 the company manufactured
a metal AM exhaust finisher for the
Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ (Fig.
8). This Bugatti Chiron derivative was
the first hypercar to break the 300
mph barrier (482.80 km/h), a record
that was set at the beginning of August
2019 in Germany.
The innovative AM exhaust finishers
applied in this car were also produced
in titanium. In this case, the exhaust
finishers are part of a modified longer
tail section and are designed to push
exhaust emissions further from the
rear end of the car to reduce turbu-
lence and improve steering behaviour
at high speeds. The design freedom
offered by AM enabled optimised
exhaust aerodynamics, resulting in
increased downforce and enhanced
high-speed handling of the car.
In addition to the aerodynamic
benefits, the low mass of the parts
contributed to the vehicle’s exceptional
acceleration. Titanium was the mate-
rial best suited to this application due
to its combination of high strength,
heat resistance and low weight. This
Fig. 7 An EOS M 400-4, Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) system at is a prime example of an optimised
APWORKS (Courtesy APWORKS) high-performance part enabled by AM.
Fig. 8 This Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ broke the 300 mph barrier with AM exhaust finishers produced by APWORKS
(Courtesy Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S.)
Conclusion nent must be technically perfect. But Contact

it must be elegant and beautiful, too.”
With a legacy of ground breaking Today, this spirit remains. The use
Angela Grünewald
innovation, Bugatti considers itself of Additive Manufacturing has allowed
Marketing & Technical Sales Manager
to be continuing a long-standing the designers of these exhaust
APWORKS GmbH
tradition of innovation and unique components to incorporate harmo-
Willy-Messerschmitt-Str. 1
vehicle development with the use of nious contours and features that are
82024 Taufkirchen
additively manufactured components. more elegant and striking than is
Germany
Company founder Ettore Bugatti possible with conventional technolo-
himself developed unique vehicles gies – all while delivering extreme
Tel: +49 89 954738751
using ground breaking technologies, performance. All of this is in keeping
angela.gruenewald@apworks.de
from lightweight aluminium wheels to with the Bugatti legacy; a history of
www.apworks.de
a hollow front axle. As Ettore Bugatti combining technical functionality,
once stated, “An automobile compo- aesthetics and elegance.
| contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter | Operational Excellence in metal AM
Facing obstacles to profitability

in metal AM: An Operational
Excellence perspective
Just as Design for AM demands an entirely new mindset to be truly
effective, understanding efficient AM machine utilisation in order to drive
profitability also requires a major shift from conventional practices. In
this article, Magnitude Innovations Inc’s Matt Tusz, Founder and CEO, and
Caterina Pampolari, Business Development Manager, explore operational
and financial losses in metal Additive Manufacturing. They offer advice on
how to overcome these growth barriers through production efficiency and
profitable pricing strategies, with a focus on Operational Excellence and
Continuous Improvement.
Metal Additive Manufacturing finds by competitors. However, unlike In this article, we will explain why
itself between a rock and a hard traditional manufacturing, deter- this dynamic in particular hinders
place: on the one hand, the pricing of mining the correct pricing strategy the growth of the metal AM industry,
AM services comes down to machine for metal AM is complex and why it’s in our collective interest to
productivity, based on a company’s inconsistent between projects. With address it, and how to double the
go-to-market strategy; on the other, time, manufacturers find them- revenues from these systems without
we need to consider the competitive selves with losses of over 50% of additional capital investments.
landscape of the industry and how their manufacturing capacity, and
the pricing of services is influenced that is not good for the industry.
How did we get to this
point?
For an understanding of how this

 EOS M290
has come about, it is useful to look
Data at the history of pricing in manu-
facturing. During the evolution of
Build time waste (h) Downtime waste (h) Machine prep. waste (h) Breakdown waste (h)
300
280
260
manufacturing, machines could not
240
220 be digitally programmed, therefore
200
180 we needed to analyse the contribu-
160
140 tion of machine utilisation through a
120
100 Machine Hourly Rate (MHR) serving
80
60
40
as a proxy for productivity.
20
0
This was effective: since
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
traditional system productivity is
Projects Production Dashboard high, variations between jobs are
insignificant and the margins are
considerable. With that simplifica-
tion, the most important aspect of
Fig. 1 An analysis of metal AM wastes and inefficiency can improve machine utilisation is considered
performance to an extent that was previously impossible by determining system uptime.
Operational Excellence in metal AM | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
that we don’t charge for parts based

on system efficiency directly, but
Production
efficiency rather use an hourly rate as a proxy.
Unfortunately for manufacturers,
100% - these efficiency losses are signifi-
Traditional
cant; in the best case, they consume
manufacturing
1 sec.
?
an organisation’s complete profit
margins, and in the worst case, they
amount to over 50% of machine
50% - capacity.
Metal AM
2 days In order to maximise the quality
and profitability of AM machines,
Magnitude developed the software
solution Uptimo to quantify AM
Time production performance down to the
voxel and use this information with
the help of predictive performance
Fig. 2 Production efficiency shown by conventional Overall Equipment Effective- analytics to automate the decision
ness (OEE) and Magnitude’s Additive Manufacturing Index (AMI) making process in the production
chain. With machine learning and
empirical results, Uptimo anticipates
In the case of AM, this approach basis. Complicating things further, failures before they occur in order to
was adopted early on, since it was there is a fundamental gap in the deliver higher profit margins, regard-
commonly understood as a ‘decent’ manufacturing industry’s knowledge less of what is being manufactured.
rule-of-thumb approach. However, of AM machines beyond prototyping; Based on our expertise, here we
unlike traditional methods, AM had hence, factors such as scrap rate share the first level efficiency gains
many factors that made it difficult to and production efficiency are that any organisation can obtain
implement. typically ignored after the initial to increase profit margins while
improving productivity and produc-
tion quality.
“...with the CAM software from machine

Why aren’t we measuring
manufacturers being, in essence, a efficiency properly?
black box of proprietary algorithms, it is
For the most part, traditional
impossible to determine what could be manufacturing efficiency has relied
done to improve the process.” on Operational Excellence metrics
in order to quantify the efficiency of
any production process. Through the
use of Overall Equipment Effective-
To begin with, additive process business case is made. Since the ness (OEE), we can quantify the
steps take days to execute instead technology is still evolving by leaps productivity of a system and use that
of mere hours, and vary significantly and bounds, the rate of change in to adjust the pricing that we offer
between different machines, mate- metal AM machines is making this for services rendered. OEE lends
rials and even production runs. Next, problem more acute for manufac- itself elegantly to any manufacturing
with the CAM software from machine turers to track and price. process because we can break
manufacturers being, in essence, a down the problem into three simple
black box of proprietary algorithms, measurements: uptime, speed and
it is impossible to determine what Where are we now? quality of product, all measured out
could be done to improve the process. of 100%, through what we refer to as
Adding to this, a single project can As the demand for production Availability, Performance and Quality.
take weeks to deliver and is mixed components has become a legiti- Multiplying these values then gives
with other production parts. All this mate possibility, these questions us the production efficiency.
leads to an inevitable conclusion: began to enter discussions within This method, however, is not
accounting principles cannot be AM projects, but it was tough to step effective when running a metal AM
used to reveal the enormous losses out of the approach ingrained in our system, specifically because of how
in efficiency occurring on a daily common consciousness; namely, the metrics are determined and the
opposing focus of manufacturers. (a)

(a)
For metal AM projects, each build
that is run on a system tends to be
different, meaning differing build Contrib.
margin/unit
times, build parameters and output $3.3/cm3 Contrib.
success. Additionally, since each margin/yr
Theoretical $1.4M
metric is determined from different prod./yr Actual
prod./yr Profit (EBIT)
dimensions (e.g. time, build rate, 794K cm3
437K cm3 $465K Profit
Fixed
volume), each material has different costs/yr
Margin
7.3%
speeds, and the success of the A MI $964K
Operating
5 5% income ROI
output is process- and application-
$6M 1 0%
dependent, it is practically impos- Planning
sible to determine OEE. 7 4% Operating
income Asset
As an alternative, years of $6M Turnover
Parameters
development have resulted in an 8 4%
Ratio
1.4
equivalent metric, the Additive Total assets
$4M
Manufacturing Index (AMI), which is Parts
a combined value calculated from 8 8%
Planning, Parameters and Parts in

order to address the shortcomings
of OEE, take into consideration the
complexity of metal AM and help (b) (b)
manufacturers reduce costs and
improve productivity. The AMI has
become instrumental in work to Contrib.
margin/unit
free up capacity, improve profit- $3.3/cm3 Contrib.
ability and lower the Cost-Per-Part margin/yr
Theoretical $1.6M
(CPP) so as to bring metal AM into prod./yr Actual
prod./yr Profit (EBIT)
an area of profitable growth for 794K cm3
516K cm3 $725K Profit
Fixed Margin
manufacturers and end-users alike. costs/yr
$964K 11.3%
A MI Operating
6 5% income ROI
Why system efficiency Planning
$6M 1 6%
matters 7 8% Operating
income
Asset
$6M Turnover
Parameters
When using AMI, we have discov- 9 0% Ratio
1.4
ered that typical metal AM system Total assets
$4M
efficiency is operating at a range Parts
9 3%
of between 35–45% (Fig. 2). This
means that productivity across the
industry can be doubled by simply
Fig. 3 DuPont analysis of a facility with seven metal AM systems utilising
utilising the available systems
Inconel 718
more effectively. At these rates, as
determined by a DuPont analysis,
manufacturers are at the limits of
profitability with an ROI of 1–2%
per year when system efficiency ROI
is between 35–40% (Fig. 3a).
Furthermore, with every increase 28%
in average AMI of 10%, the ROI
improves by 6% (Fig. 3b). With 14%
a granulated analysis and help
from our efficiency metrics, we
can determine which applications, 0% AMI
materials and machines are profit- 35% 60% 85%
able, adjust the pricing strategy,
and utilise data to drive corrective Fig. 4 AMI and ROI growth correlation for seven metal AM systems utilising
actions. Inconel 718
1 laser systems (12 cm3/h build rate) 4 laser systems (50 cm3/h build rate)
19% Process steps 24%

Material
60% 52%
17% Heat treatment
~$500K 22% ~$1,500-
Machine costs 2,000K
4%
2%
Fig. 5 Process step breakdown in CPP for single (left) and quad (right) laser PBF-LB metal AM machines
From the end-user perspective, but there is invisible waste that is a quick analysis reveals that the
the most important factor is the difficult to determine in a production parameters used were only 80%
CPP, which is disproportionately environment. At Magnitude, we break efficient, meaning that the build
dependent on system amortisation. down the wastes from a production required thirty hours, but could
We observe that approximately into four interconnected categories: actually have been completed in
half the CPP is due to this factor • System downtime: Planning twenty-four hours (Fig. 6b). From
alone, excluding quality control metric this, we realise the true AMI is
(QC) measures (Fig. 5). This means actually 68 x 80 x 100 = 54%. If,
• Parameter inefficiency: Param-
that the resultant CPP is mostly on the other hand, we would have
eters metric
affected by a lack of machine optimised the parameters, we could
• Rejected parts: Parts metric
efficiency, which can be either have shortened the build time by
offset by cheaper machines or • Breakdowns: A combination of two hours, which would have been
higher productivity. In comparison to system downtime and rejected enough to start another project on
powder costs, the price sensitivity of parts Tuesday afternoon and not wait until
individual parts is 2.5x more affected With this segmentation, we can Wednesday morning (Fig. 6c). This
by machine utilisation. Considering effectively see how these losses are would have improved the Planning
that machines are utilised at an AMI interconnected through a typical and Parameters metric to 100% and
of 40%, the CPP can be reduced example: 85%, resulting in an AMI of 85%.
by 25% from efficiency gains in A machine is running a project In the end, we have three
comparison with savings of 2–4% that is thirty hours long. The machine efficiency values: the perception is
based on cheaper powder, not starts at 12:00 PM on Monday and that the system for this project is
including the fact that new powder continues until 6:00 PM on Tuesday. running at 68% efficiency, and there
sources have to undergo costly The shift in the factory comes to an was nothing we could have done to
validation tests and are available to end on Tuesday and the machine is optimise the production. In fact, the
everyone, therefore failing to deliver not running from 6:00 PM Tuesday system is running at 54% efficiency
any competitive advantage. until 8:00 AM on Wednesday. At and we could have saved six hours
this point, the approach is typically of production time. Finally, if we
either “we can’t do anything about optimised our scheduling as well
Known unknowns: Invisible it, let’s wait until the next day,” or as the parameters, the nominal
production wastes someone has to stay late at nights build would have resulted in an
to start the next production. This efficiency of 85%, and no member
As previously mentioned, the results in a downtime reflected by of the group would need to work
efficiency of AM machines is not a Planning metric of 68% (Fig. 6a). overtime. These kinds of losses are
easy to determine. Not only is Assuming that the parameters and what we call ‘invisible wastes’, and
each project different, making parts efficiency is perfect, the AMI occur on a daily basis in metal AM.
the calculations time-consuming, is 68 x 100 x 100 = 68%. However, In this case, this is an invisible waste
12 PM 6 PM 8 AM
(a) Job 1 Downtime Job 2 Apparent AMI 68%
0 30
(b) Job 1 Job 2 True AMI 54%
24
(c) Job 1 Job 2 Optimal AMI 85%
hours
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Fig. 6 Example of interconnections between production losses
that only appears when we analyse durations mean higher revenue, but and the end-user does not need to
the Planning in conjunction with the a lack of metrics does not reveal spend additional resources on quali-
Parameters metric of the job. lower profit margins. fying the 60 µm process. However,
More importantly for the For an example, we need to go no the resultant parameter efficiency is
organisation, these wastes suffer further than to expand on a theo- merely 45%, revealing that revenue
from poor metrics that appear to retical serial production. Let us say is decoupled from the profitability of
show that everything is optimised, that a 30 µm layer titanium process the project in a significant way.
nothing can be done and the system parameter has been qualified and Assuming the Planning and Parts
efficiency is reflected within the selected for our production. If built metrics are perfect, we observe
pricing strategy. Unfortunately, in 60 µm, the parameters could that the highest AMI achievable is
since we have not properly quanti- build the geometry in eighteen hours 45% and the opportunity cost is
fied these losses, it is impossible
to address them in the company
strategy or operations.
“...we incur invisible losses every time a
Invisible losses in process ‘qualified’ process is being utilised... This
speed is inherently what the end-user has to pay
On a commercial level, we incur
for in terms of their components. What
invisible losses every time a we do not see in such an instance are
‘qualified’ process is utilised. For
technical reasons beyond the scope the inherent efficiency losses in terms of
of this article, when a project is built
with slower-than-possible param-
opportunity cost.”
eters, users tend to notice a jump in
build time that results in additional when optimised and twenty-two over 50% of the machine capacity.
manufacturing hours. This is inher- hours with ‘default’ manufacturer Extrapolating this for an entire
ently what the end-user has to pay parameters with no effect on final year’s worth of production, we can
for in terms of their components. part quality. With the 30 µm qualified safely deduce that the best-case
What we do not see in such an parameters, this job is built in forty scenario AMI will be 45%, resulting
instance are the inherent efficiency hours. On the face of it, it would in enormous underutilisation. As
losses in terms of opportunity appear that it is a win-win situation you can imagine, this problem
cost. What this also shows is that for both the supplier and end-user; is further compounded when we
manufacturer and end-user goals the manufacturer is now able to utilise these systems in a variable
are at first glance conflicting: longer charge for more machine utilisation production.
Quantify Prioritise Corrective Corrective Performance

losses losses strategy actions tracking
Eliminate Optimise Allocate
Fig. 7 Systematic approach to loss reduction encompassing all aspects of production
Typically in these situations, we machine downtime or parameter These guiding principles need to
observe that manufacturers tend inefficiency. Without holistic metrics, be written in a simple structure
to keep busy in order to fully utilise these wastes are ignored and not that encompasses every produc-
machine uptime without defining accounted for in terms of overall tion variability so that the whole
what their organisation represents. production efficiency. organisation can participate. As
In the early stages of learning The approach with rejection waste organisations define this structure,
by doing, this is understandable. is similar to downtime and parameter they tend to struggle with conveying
However, as organisational experi- inefficiencies, in that we compare to individuals the process because
ence and competence mature, these the losses from rejected parts and of gaps in terms of metrics as well
projects should be scaled down try to strike a balance with other as specific problems that arise. If
and a manufacturing specialisation metrics. Slowing down the process is individuals feel that their concerns
developed. Suppliers at this stage typically effective in reducing these are not included in the corrective
have a difficult, but absolutely rejections and leads to better overall strategy discussion, the acceptance
necessary need to change their AMI. After all, if a system is running of such practices is mostly ignored,
mindset, either by charging for the at maximum capacity, but the output at which point the only solution
lost opportunity cost to make up for is of no value to the end-user, it is is non-flexible rules within the
100% system efficiency in the short the same thing as not manufacturing manufacturing process. This results
term, by improving the CPP through anything in the first place. What in additional invisible losses.
cheaper systems and part redesign, needs to be considered here are the What we propose to a general
or by simply refusing such business two major reasons for these losses: problem-solving schematic is to
in order to focus on a more profitable first rejections are a result of the divide all of the issues in production
niche. steep learning curve in utilising this into three categories and then
technology, while the remainder of systematically solve them. Through
rejections are related to process this approach and with metrics that
Invisible output losses limitations connected with specific keep track of all process shortcom-
geometries, materials and machines. ings, we can convey to individuals
The final invisible waste category the importance of their tasks in the
that we continuously notice with larger picture of the value chain.
customers is the challenge in How do we systematise our To begin with, organisations
identifying the opportunity cost work? need to be open about their
related to machine output. Every approach and goals. With goals,
time a part or batch is rejected due Coming back to the bigger picture, we refer to the simple focus of
to non-conformities, these losses companies are missing a systematic output, profitability and strategy
are not quantified, since scrap rates approach to solving these problems and their alignment with
are difficult to track in a variable within their organisational structure. individual incentives. If these are
production. Because AM offers the To address this, they need to communicated correctly, team
ability to customise every product, convey to individual team members members will be forthcoming with
we see that rejected product costs the quality that their production issues in production, because it
are difficult to compare with the true represents and have a systematic will eliminate the ‘us vs them’
costs of other efficiency losses like approach to solving these issues. mentality in an organisation. If
done incorrectly, this appears on the services rendered. Going forward, Even though this first level
shop floor as a competition between we need to keep track of the optimisation can be performed
individual production steps, which overall performance as we move manually, only automated solutions
leads to a dynamic of blaming others through this exercise by tracking such as Uptimo can deliver a holistic
for shortcomings without ensuring improvements and exchanging on approach to loss reduction. With
overall team success. best practices observed. Uptimo, we can quantify all of the
Next, the corrective actions In illuminating these invisible losses in production and execute
need to be prioritised in order wastes, AM performance can be and track the impact of corrective
of significance to the whole improved to an extent that was not actions in order to ensure the highest
organisation. This involves holding previously possible. With metrics possible efficiency gains over time.
Additionally, Uptimo does not lead
to lost time on the manual effort
“In illuminating these invisible wastes, AM required to determine true efficiency
losses as well as the coordination of
performance can be improved to an extent corrective actions. In comparison with
that was not previously possible. With Manufacturing Execution Systems

(MES), these methods consider the
metrics enabling total production oversight, efficiencies of the whole production
chain and lead to precise prioritisa-
we can automate the AM decision process tion of corrective actions.
and lower the CPP in order to improve In the end, organisations can
tackle these challenges through
quality and reduce costs...” good metrics, systematic corrective
actions, correct pricing and by
fulfilling a niche in the industry. Based
regular review meetings with the enabling total production oversight, on our experience, only with a holistic
team and prioritising losses through we can automate the AM decision approach to tracking and solving
metrics that are easy to understand. process and lower the CPP in order these problems will organisations
Once these losses are quantified, to improve quality and reduce costs achieve true OpEx and deliver on the
we segment them into categories throughout the AM value chain. Due promise of Industry 4.0.
according to whether they can be to the high sensitivity of AM process
eliminated, minimised, or, in the efficiency, only predictive analytics
event that they are unavoidable, can help users of the technology to Authors
allocated as the true cost of an fully utilise their systems and result
Maciej Tusz
individual project (Fig. 7). in long-term profitability. As shown
Founder and CEO
Within each of these categories, earlier by the DuPont model in Fig.
m.tusz@magnitude.am
the team needs to be involved 3, every 10% improvement in average
to determine the best way to efficiency results in a 6% increase Caterina Pampolari
proceed, first eliminating the in ROI for a production system, Business Development Manager
largest losses, then minimising the implying that total investment costs c.pampolari@magnitude.am
losses that cannot be completely can be recuperated five years earlier,
removed and ensuring that true or a business case for a larger space Magnitude Innovations Inc.
costs are reflected in the price of of applications can be developed. www.magnitude.am
| contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter | Laser beam testing for AM mass production
Mass-production using PBF-LB:

How laser beam measurements
can help pave the way
Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) is a technology rich in process

parameters and exacting material specifications, all developed with the
aim of delivery quality and repeatability as the industry moves towards
volume production. However, without control of a laser’s focal spot,
neither the material specification nor the handling of the material in the
build chamber can guarantee the hoped-for results. As Ophir Spiricon
Europe’s Christian Dini explains, when it comes to lasers, there is no
control without the gathering of reliable data.
Is Additive Manufacturing ready for operation? To answer this question, consists of a 2-axis galvanometric
mass-production? The answer really one must take a closer look into scan head and a focusing F-Theta
boils down to reproducibility. When the function and construction of lens. For the 3-axis systems (Fig. 1,
it comes to Laser Beam Powder laser-based AM systems. right), the F-Theta lens is replaced
Bed Fusion (PBF-LB), the constancy Most PBF-LB metal AM by another beam expander built
of the laser parameters is of great machines have a number of beam from three lens elements with
importance. Both AM machine delivery components in common. two fixed and one moving lens,
manufacturers and machine users Starting at the fibre laser source changing the focal distance of
need to be aware of the quality of with the beam delivery fibre and the entire assembly as needed
the focused beam that they are beam expansion optics, either a when the beam is steered over
using. So, is it possible to test this 2-axis or a 3-axis system follows. the working plane, using again an
quickly and cost-effectively during The 2-axis system (Fig. 1, left) X-Y-galvanometric scanning head.
2-axis galvanometric system 3-axis galvanometric system
Scanner Beam expansion Laser source Scanner 3rd axis Laser source
f-Theta Lens
Measurement Measurement
points points
Fig. 1 Left, the structure of a 2-axis galvanometric system; right, a 3-axis galvanometric system. Measurements between
the components provides information about their performance
Laser beam testing for AM mass production | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
from the centre. This symmetrical

bell-shaped pattern is called a
Gaussian distribution. Alternatively,
a so-called top hat or flat top beam
profile might be used with the aim
of maintaining literally the same
power density across the beam
cross section. For any beam shape
in common, the critical point is that
even a slight shift in focus position
(see Fig. 2) causes a significant
change in power density as the area
of the beam varies.
Take, for example, a 4000 W
laser focused to a 100 µm diameter
spot size; the average power density
of the focused beam will be 51 MW/
cm². A 10 W beam can create an
average power density of 32 kW/cm²
if focused to a 200 µm spot, or 127
kW/cm² average power density if
focused to a 100 µm spot (see Fig. 3)
The parameters of concern
In most cases, the beam exiting the

laser will not have the size, shape
Fig. 2 Relationship between power density and focus drift or intensity profile needed for the
application. The laser beam will be
expanded and may be shaped, and
can be steered by galvanometer
Finally, a protective window systems. The basic structure of the mirror systems and travel through
separates the optics or the scanner entire beam delivery is replicated up several transmissive optics before
from the work chamber. To improve to four times in one PBF-LB system, reaching the process. However,
flexibility, there might be a pair of working in a stitching mode. The optics and mirrors gradually absorb
beam benders (or turning mirrors) individual laser beams not only need more laser light as they degrade,
in the beam path to help alignment to be aligned precisely in order to causing the delivered laser power to
of the expanded beam into the scan achieve durable, high quality parts. decrease over time.
heads. Different strategies are applied They also need to be matched to Some wavelengths of light are
within the working chamber, such almost identical performance – a very hard on system components.
as heating it up or purging it with more than challenging task. Thermal effects caused by absorp-
process gas, but they will not be the tion will change the size or location
focus of this article. of the focused spot. This is known
Leaving material-related and work
Why is power density the as ’thermal lensing’ leading to
strategy questions out of the equa- key? ’focal shift’. If the laser focuses
tion, the crucial question in terms of before the work plane, the power
achieving reproducibility is how the One of the key parameters within density is reduced as the beam is
optical components, with their coat- PBF-LB processes is the power expanding before impinging on the
ings, power densities and alignment, density of the laser beam. As the work surface and, even further,
influence the production process, power density is defined as power high power densities might lead to
and how the interplay between per unit area, its calculation is creation of a plasma in the focal
them can be managed to achieve straightforward. The beam’s power spot region that can impact the
constant beam parameters. As if the is divided by the area of a beam beam quality. If the laser focuses
challenge to set up one laser beam using the radius. Most lasers beyond the work plane, the power
path and manage the optics involved present a beam profile that is most density is also reduced. Knowing
isn’t enough, larger parts are built intense in the centre and decreases the exact location of the focused
using even more complex multi-laser in power density as you move away spot is essential to quality output.
To ensure a consistent process

over time, regular measurement
of the laser beam is necessary to
control performance. The engineers
developing new PBF-LB machines,
as well as the production technician,
need to know:
• Spatial intensity distribution

• Location of the focused spot
• Power and energy at the
focused spot
• Quality of the beam
• Divergence
• The stability of each of these
parameters over time.
How to define a Fig. 3 The size of the laser beam changes the power density by a factor of 4
measurement strategy
Within the process of defining a

measurement strategy, the machine End-users, on the other hand, to integrate regular measurements
manufacturer and the user will have usually have no access to the beam into the production process. Using
to answer the same questions: delivery path. They have to rely on CCD Camera-based technology will
the information about the focused provide a time resolution at video rate
• Where and how often do we
beam as measured in the build to reveal changes of the focused laser
have to measure?
chamber to judge the quality of the beam when going from cold to warm,
• What are the drivers to choose
PBF-LB process. This also results in the typical state of operation even
a certain measurement
a different approach when choosing through the build process. Thermal
technology?
the suitable measurement strategy. equilibrium is very rarely achieved as
As the measurement process of While the machine manufacturer is an operational condition of a laser
the machine manufacturer starts most interested in obtaining absolute system employing scanning systems
way before the laser beam enters measurements to define the param- for beam steering.
the build chamber, the answers will eters needed for the PBF-LB process,
certainly be different to those of a for the user, it is normally sufficient to
machine user. Within the develop- have trends. By measuring the laser
Measurement solutions
ment of an PBF-LB system, different beam each time between unloading
measurement points along the and loading the machine, even slight The most commonly used approaches
beam path are chosen to determine deteriorations will be revealed quickly over the last twenty years have been
possible losses at the individual and the process can be changed the scanning slit beam profiler for
elements and to correctly align the accordingly by adjusting the process low and medium powers, and the
beam delivery components to the parameters or performing preventive scanning tip with a pinhole for higher
laser beam axis (see the measure- maintenance in order avoid putting powers, which samples a small
ment points in Fig. 1). During the a whole build job at risk, losing portion of the beam and presents
lifecycle of an PBF-LB system, the time and expensive material in the it to a single element detector. For
machine manufacturer needs to process. both, the rotational scanning of the
take many measurements: in the For the measurements that are slit and translational scanning of the
product development, in production, taken within the build chamber in pinhole through the beam creates a
in quality-related end-of-line testing particular, the ease of use of the 2D image of the beam profile. While
and when the system is serviced measurement device plays a key the scanning slit devices are rather
once it is installed on the customer’s role. Fast positioning, easy alignment compact and low cost, the method of
premises. In order to be able to and a low risk of damaging the scanning tip does require large-scale
compare the gathered data points device will enhance your team’s equipment with moving mechanical
taken in those different stages, their acceptance of the practice of taking parts and a water chiller, along with
continuity should be guaranteed frequent measurements. A short expert knowledge on the part of the
ideally by using the same metrology measurement time is also important, operator and time to complete a
technology all the way. as this is the prerequisite to be able measurement. Since scanning tip
Laser beam testing for AM mass production | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
employs newly engineered sampling

optics that allow measurement of
NIR (1,000–1,100 nm) focused or
collimated laser beams profiles up
to 5 kW or 15 MW/cm2. With this
technology, a low-cost system is now
available that provides the usual 2D
and 3D beam profiles, as well as the
capability for fast measurements
of both an image integrated over a
certain period of time and of the full-
beam profile with dynamic changes at
video rate.
Ophir BeamWatch AM
The fourth alternative to measure
the laser beam within the working
chamber is by using a non-contact
measurement technology based on
Rayleigh scattering of the laser beam.
This technology was developed by
Ophir and further enhanced for use
in Additive Manufacturing systems
such as the Ophir BeamWatch
AM measurement device (Fig. 6).
The lightweight, compact system
measures beam position and angle
of incidence, focal spot size, position
and quality parameters such as
M² and beam caustic in real-time.
These measurements allow users
Fig. 4 Measurements taken with PPS sensors can provide first indications of to easily determine when the beam
the status of a laser-based system is aligned and in focus, providing
more consistent material behaviour.
Measurements can be displayed in
equipment is relatively expensive to the peripheral areas of the building tabular, 2D or 3D views, providing a
purchase and to maintain and slow plane – in terms of both power and quick and realistic display of laser
to take measurements, the use of beam position. characteristics. The advantages of
this technology is not very practical in non-contact laser beam measure-
production environments. Ophir LBS-300 HP-NIR beam profiler ment are particularly important at
Secondly, there are quadrant Recently, a third option for measuring higher power densities of more than
sensors or power position sensors the high-power beams used in 2 MW/ cm2, as currently required in

(PPS), which measure not only the PBF-LB has emerged. Thanks to a PBF-LB. Because the instrument can
power but also the position and size of newly developed beam attenuation record power of up to 1 kW for as long
the laser beam, going a step further technology, it is now possible to use as two minutes without needing active
than conventional power gauges. They a lower-cost CCD beam profiler (a cooling, it can be used in R&D as
are used to adjust the beam delivery, well-known, low-power technology) well as in production and service. The
as well inside the build chamber. to measure the laser beam in the comparability of the measurement
When the sensor is positioned working chamber. This approach can results, which plays such a crucial
centrally and moved vertically, the be seen in the new Ophir LBS-300 role for manufacturers, is guaranteed
beam position should not show HP-NIR (Fig. 5), a beam attenuation at all times.
any movement. Any change in the system designed for focused spot When designing Ophir BeamWatch
measured beam position indicates beam analysers that combines dual AM, an important factor for Ophir
an offset in the deflection head or a sampling optics and neutral density was its ease of use. The non-contact
misalignment in the beam path. To a filters for beam attenuation before measurement technology, on the one
certain extent, this sensor technology the focused spot reaches the camera. hand, guarantees that there is no
can also be used to determine the This innovative beam splitter is wear and tear as the beam does not
accuracy of the beam adjustment in designed for high-power lasers and affect the device. On the other hand,
the device has a centring 10 mm dowel

pin hole that enables fast alignment
in the working chamber. Reproducible
measurements can thus be achieved
easily. As the measurement itself only
takes fractions of a second, the focus
shift can be measured, delivering
a realistic picture of the process.
Conventional measurement devices
are much slower and thus are simply
unable to detect focus shift at all.
Conclusion
More parameters than just the optical

performance of the laser beam
influence the reproducibility of AM
parts. However, neither the material
specification nor the handling of
the material in the build chamber Fig. 5 Ophir’s LBS-300HP is a compact, camera-based focus spot beam analyser
can guarantee the required narrow
bandwidth of the PBF-LB process
without control of the laser focal
spot. There is no control without the
gathering of reliable data.
The different measurement
technologies offer suitable options for
all use cases. Scanning slit and PPS
sensors represent the entry-level of
data gathering in PBF-LB systems in
terms of the delivered information and
investment. The newly available option
to use CCD cameras for PBF-LB
applications, even at higher power
levels, goes a significant step further
as it offers fast and easy-to-use beam Fig. 6 The Ophir BeamWatch AM measures beam position and angle of
profiling. Major barriers for laser incidence, focal spot size, position and quality parameters such as M² and
beam monitoring, including time to beam caustic in real-time in AM machines
set up and time for measurement, can
thus be overcome.
The combination of new attenuation the manufacturer to produce and ducibility is to be aware that the laser
optics and CCD camera delivers a calibrate more PBF-LB systems in beam needs to be monitored, as it has
relatively low price tag, as well as a shorter time frame. Furthermore, a significant impact on the reproduc-
a compact and lightweight design the manufacturer’s service team can ible quality of the produced parts.
that supports the increased use of efficiently measure PBF-LB systems
performance monitoring. Monitoring in the field using the same beam
trend lines of power density enables profiling system as the produc- Author
narrower process windows and operation process does, which – once
tion of the PBF-LB machine closer to again – ensures product quality and Christian Dini, Director Global
its optimum specifications. reproducibility of the laser beam Business Development
When it comes to regularly performance. From a user perspec- Ophir Spiricon Europe
measuring the performance of the tive, beam quality can be measured (MKS Instruments)
laser in the working chamber, a quickly and frequently in the produc- Guerickeweg 7
compact non-contact device such as tion process. D-64291 Darmstadt, Germany
the Ophir BeamWatch AM offers many No matter what option the Tel: +49 6151 708 0
advantages. Due to its short set-up machine manufacturer and user info@eu.ophiropt.com
and measurement times, it allows select, a major step towards repro- www.ophiropt.com
PM CHINA 2020
The 13th Shanghai International Powder Metallurgy Exhibition & Conference
August 12th-14th, 2020

Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Center
Convergence of
Cutting-edge Technology &
Products
Organizer
Tel: +86 20 8327 6369/6389 +86 4000 778 909

Email: pmchina@unifair.com pmchina@unirischina.com
| contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter | Link 3D’s AM Maturity Model
Link3D’s ‘Additive Manufacturing

Maturity Model’: Developing an
agile and resilient supply chain
As the metal Additive Manufacturing industry matures at a rapid rate,

organisations are now faced with the challenge of scaling their AM
operations. Based on a study of 253 companies in a number of sectors,
US-based AM software specialist Link3D has developed an ‘Additive
Manufacturing Maturity Model’. This simple model can be used as a tool to
understand an organisation’s AM maturity whilst also helping them navigate
the steps to developing an agile and resilient AM supply chain. Shane Fox,
CEO and co-founder of Link3D, explains.
The Additive Manufacturing industry Maturity Model’. Within this model, as incremental growth, leapfrogging or
has started to fulfil its promise and organisations mature their processes, starting from zero. It is important for
many of the world’s largest economies production efficiencies are expected as businesses to navigate the risks that
are taking notice. The 21.2% growth of they transition through defined stages; all change poses and manage them
the overall industry in 2019 (estimated these being named reactive, informed, to ensure success by minimising
to be worth $11.867 billion) is foun- managed, automated and predictive. overhead costs, eliminating poor data
dational proof of its momentum [1]. They can choose various paths to management and gaining leadership
However, investing in new tech- mature their processes, including and employee buy-in.
nologies is always risky, and Additive
Manufacturing is no exception to the
rule.
Over the last two years, Link3D has More machines
conducted a study of 253 companies
across the aerospace, automotive,
consumer, defence, medical and More capital
other industrial sectors to better invested
understand the risks of scaling up
industrial AM production environ- More
More
ments. Headquartered in Boulder, More end-use
prototypes
Colorado, USA, Link3D’s Additive MES materials parts
workflow software is designed to
help organisations scale their digital
More design
& engineers
manufacturing strategy and applies
modern technologies, such as the
Internet of Things (IoT), workflow
automation and machine learning, to
enable manufacturers to unlock the
benefits of Industry 4.0. More applications
Using the results of a two-year
study, we have developed a framework Fig. 1 An illustration of the ‘virtuous cycle’ of AM, a recurring cycle of events in
known as the ‘Additive Manufacturing which the result of each one is to increase the beneficial effect of the next
Link 3D’s AM Maturity Model | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
Additive has crossed the chasm of adoption
Early market Pragmatists Mainstream market
Conservatives
THE CHASM
Visionaries
Sceptics
Tech enthusiasts
Innovators Early Early Late Laggards

adopters majority majority
Fig. 2 AM has progressed from its early market of innovators and early adopters, through the chasm into the mainstream
market
In this article, we will consider This virtuous cycle has meant that innovators and early adopters are the
how Fortune 500 organisations, Additive Manufacturing technologies target market, through the ‘chasm’
contract manufacturers and service have rapidly matured and will only and into the mainstream market
bureaux can overcome risks to continue to be improved upon in (Fig. 2). Innovators set the founda-
enable a sustainable business model the future, as the loop reinforces tion for AM and now its adoption
and ensure business continuity. itself. In summary, innovation within is becoming mainstream across a
materials, AM machines and a host variety of industries.
AM is enabling new
technologies in a cyclical “This virtuous cycle has meant that
‘virtuous cycle’
Additive Manufacturing technologies
The Additive Manufacturing industry have rapidly matured and will only
has now entered the ‘virtuous cycle’,
a recurring cycle of events, the
continue to be improved upon in the
result of each one being to increase future, as the loop reinforces itself.”
the beneficial effect of the next –
literally, the opposite of a ‘vicious
cycle’ (Fig. 1). In the virtuous cycle, of post-processing and downstream Currently, the majority of organisa-
the more engineers that design technologies showcases the capabili- tions are either in the discovery,
products, the more applications ties and processes that are constantly building or scaling stage of their
there are. The more applications evolving. AM journey. As the demand for AM
there are, the broader the AM As many of us already know, AM services such as the production
material selection becomes. Thanks is no longer just for tech enthusiasts of prototyping, tooling, jigs and
to this cycle, we are starting to see and visionaries. Use cases for AM fixtures and serial parts, grows,
new generations of machines with have, in recent years, extended well these organisations are naturally
broader material capabilities, larger beyond R&D and prototyping as under pressure to standardise their
build volumes and serial production organisations have begun to utilise workflows to deliver repeatable,
build times and quality. These the technology for series production timely and consistent results. We see
advancements are now pushing with previous success under their AM continuing on a positive trajectory,
the downstream technologies into belts. The virtuous cycle has pushed as organisations are strategising and
a virtuous cycle to complete the the industry beyond the narrow but creating their five to ten-year digital
manufacturing process. necessary adoption window in which manufacturing plans and building
The Additive Manufacturing Maturity Model

EFFICIENCY
PREDICTIVE
AUTOMATED
MANAGED Automating
Automating process improve-
INFORMED
standards and ments and
REACTIVE Implementing
processing implementing
Implementing standardised
feedback from an analytical
measurements processes and
Trailing different framework for a
measuring KPI. a unified data
procedures and and improving on
model. coupled-model
learning from lessons learned.
approach.
missteps.
MATURITY
Fig. 3 As organisations mature their processes, greater production efficiencies are expected as they transition from the
reactive to the informed, managed, automated and predictive stages
practical approaches to utilise AM as organisations begin to use AM organisations through their AM

alongside their traditional manu- for on-demand manufacturing, maturity and consolidates data into a
facturing technologies for series concurrent manufacturing, and single unified data layer, translating
production. series production, the focus has information into actionable insights
to shift from the hardware to to prove return on investment for
the environment in which these AM.
The growth of AM leads machines operate. We believe that understanding
to added complexity and Isn’t the end-goal for AM to an organisation’s stage of maturity
challenges achieve repeatable, quality parts through the use of the Maturity
that meet standards and regula- Model is a necessary discipline
Although the progress of AM tions and to be a ‘new’ tool within in order to enable them to set up
enables the development of agile the supply chain? If so, there is a a strategy to reach their digital
supply chains, opportunities for cost critical need for innovation beyond manufacturing vision. This can be
reduction, better supply chain resil- hardware. used as a benchmark for organisa-
iency and product advancement, tions to visualise the growth of their
and enables ‘vision to delivery’ on AM operations and understand how
technology that it has not been
How organisations can they can mitigate scaling pains
feasible to manufacture before, mitigate risks within their associated with risks.
these advancements come with AM supply chains As stated in the introduction to
challenges and added complexity. this article, as organisations mature
Because the Additive Manufacturing While the virtuous cycle and the their AM processes, greater produc-
industry is in a constantly evolving adoption curve are both tools to tion efficiencies are expected as they
state, organisations face the assess the progress of the AM transition from the reactive to the
challenge of keeping up with an industry, the ‘Additive Manufacturing informed, managed, automated and
ever-changing technology at the Maturity Model’ developed by Link3D predictive stages (Fig. 3). Whether
same time as trying to scale up their can be applied to its customer base they mature their processes through
AM operations to meet demands. and future prospects to assess each a path of incremental growth,
Innovation within AM has organisation’s AM maturity across leapfrogging or starting from zero,
historically been focused on its people, process and technology. businesses must manage the risks
machines and the technology within A critical component in how which all change generates and
them; machines to produce complex organisations grow their Additive work to ensure success by mini-
geometries, machines to build Manufacturing operations is mising overhead costs, eliminating
faster, machines capable of building discipline – from both a process and poor data management and gaining
in different materials. However, financial perspective. Link3D guides leadership and employee buy-in.
Link 3D’s AM Maturity Model | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
Enabling the necessary transition from managed to an automated state

EFFICIENCY
PREDICTIVE
AUTOMATED
MANAGED Automating
Automating process improve-
INFORMED
standards and ments and
REACTIVE Implementing
processing implementing
Implementing standardised
feedback from an analytical
measurements processes and
Trailing different framework for a
measuring KPI. a unified data
procedures and and improving on
model. coupled-model
learning from lessons learned.
approach.
missteps.
MATURITY
Fig. 4 Organisations in the managed stage have made a sizable investment in infrastructure, people and technology, but
are stuck at a ‘brick wall’ which limits a unified data layer and blocks the ability to move into an automated stage
Reactive stage business model. They may have and technology required for AM
Organisations in the reactive stage started identifying ways to include adoption. However, they are stuck at
are just beginning to dabble in AM. AM in their operational and financial a ‘brick wall’ with analogue and point
Typically, they are evaluating the host plans, but are usually struggling with solutions. This wall inherently limits
of technology options available and the growing complexity driven by the a unified data layer and ultimately
comparing them to opportunities they manual work and volume of data AM blocks the ability to move into an
have identified for best fit. Organisa- involves. automated stage (Fig. 4).
tions within the reactive stage tend As the AM industry is complex,
to be focused on R&D, and possibly fast-paced and constantly evolving, Automated stage
low-volume production, and are organisations at the informed stage Moving into the automated stage is
starting to envision new possibilities risk remaining stagnant, as they may the foundational first step organisa-
based on their successes. miss new market opportunities and tions must take in order to start their
When organisations are in the become obsolete. true digital manufacturing journey.
reactive stage, they are just beginning This transition is only possible with
their journey and there tend to be Managed stage the adoption of a unified data model
fewer strategic decisions inclusive When organisations operate in the powering a true end-to-end solution.
of capacity, facilities, verticals and managed stage, they tend to have Organisational alignment across
technology integration. Ultimately, high human capital with manual key stakeholders regarding a digital
the risk of living in the reactive stage workflows. As demand has increased, manufacturing strategy enables
is the inability to create strategic new or previously adopted siloed best-in-class integration into a
vision around the potential future, as solutions present additional risks as central operating system.
organisations are acting in response systems are disconnected, leaving Any internal misalignment of
to rather than creating or controlling room for human error, loss of data change management presents risks,
situations. This becomes a limiting and challenges to meet stringent as an organisation may attempt to
factor for organisations as they find customer quality requirements. By build a solution in-house without
strategic opportunities to leverage the remaining in the managed stage, viable long-term expertise, or adopt
technology through their R&D efforts. organisations’ future growth and an unfit solution, leading to failure.
profitability is limited.
Informed stage We have observed that organisa- Predictive stage
Through lessons learned in the tions in the managed stage tend to Forward-thinking organisations in
reactive stage, organisations in the be past the point of no return, with the predictive stage are taking AM
informed stage have begun identifying a sizeable investment having been a step further by incorporating data
strategic uses for AM within their made in the infrastructure, people analytics into their processes. At
this predictive stage of AM adoption, Instead of introducing lean prac- manufacturing strategy earlier in the
teams are performing the same func- tices for validating new technologies AM journey to ensure sustainable
tions as they did during the automated with manual workflows, organisa- business growth as they expand their
stage (mitigating friction points tions following the ‘zero to one’ path AM capabilities.
and delivering design optimisation will often develop a holistic business The digital revolution is still in its
insights), but are doing so in ways that plan that takes into account facility early stages, but is clearly starting to
both enable and drive their profitable requirements, headcount, AM take shape. This year, the strain put
expansion of Additive Manufacturing. technologies (machines, materials, on global supply chains by the coro-
Moreover, data-centric teams have auxiliary equipment) and software navirus (COVID-19) has offered yet
the power to deliver insights when (CAD, build prep software, workflow another example of why organisations
and where they are likely to be most automation software). By prioritising must prioritise agility and resilience
impactful. the implementation of an end-to- when it comes to their supply chains.
Establishing the foundation end digital manufacturing solution, Digital connectivity among designers,
of your AM strategy is inherently they can lay an infrastructure engineers, managers, technicians and
important, as this is the foundation foundation which is able to scale physical industrial assets will unlock
that the digital thread is built upon. as AM plant operations and supply enormous value and has the potential
If the correct data model was not chains mature. to change the manufacturing
established in previous stages, the landscape forever.
predictive outcomes that are guiding Leapfrog
your organisation’s key decisions can Not all organisations have the
be misleading. opportunity to jump from zero to Contact
one; however, they can ‘leapfrog’
towards the automated or predic- Shane Fox
Sustainable paths to scale tive stage. During the reactive CEO
and informed stage, they are not Link3D
Incremental growth inundated with order requests and 2765 Dagny Way Suite #200
Organisations lacking financial so, at this time, can allocate time Lafayette
and human resources often opt for and resources to introduce the scal- Boulder
incremental growth to mature their able workflow automation software Colorado 80026
processes. When it is no longer that can enable them to scale their USA
sustainable to continue operating AM production. shane@link3d.co
effectively, standardising processes www.link3d.co
and introducing small-scale tech-
nologies can incrementally improve Conclusion
operations from one stage of AM References
maturity to the next. Trends for AM growth across
However, such organisations organisations include an increased [1] ‘Additive Manufacturing Industry
are often challenged by a lack of number of developed applica- Grows To Almost $12 Billion In 2019’,
human resources. As operations tions for AM and increased AM May 8, 2020, Forbes www.forbes.
are lean, dedicating employees to literacy, driving production and com/sites/tjmccue/2020/05/08/
discover, evaluate and implement new reduced design cycle times with additive-manufacturing-industry-
technologies becomes difficult. Hiring tech-enabled CAD design software grows-to-almost-12-billion-
consultants or relying on a vendor’s for digitising parts at scale. With in-2019/#1fcecf1b5678
customer service programme can be the increase in AM demand,
a solution to alleviate risk for imple- organisations will experience growth
menting continuous improvement challenges at every stage of their AM
programmes and driving business journey, but the AM Maturity Model
objectives. is designed to help them to reflect
and plan how they want to mature
Zero to one their processes and what level of
Additive Manufacturing has been efficiency they would like to achieve.
around for over thirty years and Link3D is dedicated to helping
organisations that have been watching businesses scale their Additive
the industry closely have seen success Manufacturing operations for
and failure. More often than not, they industrialisation and mitigate the
hire AM experts to launch larger associated risks. Our experience and
programmes within their organisation studies have shown that organisa-
to support their business divisions. tions must consider their digital
ABSTRACT SUBMISSION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
2 International Conference on Injection

0 Molding of Metals, Ceramics and Carbides
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1 February 22–24, 2021 • West Palm Beach, FL
Call for
Presentations
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MATERIALS ADVANCEMENTS:
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TARGETED AUDIENCE:
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Conference Sponsors:
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Visit MIM2021.org to submit an abstract.

| contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter | Design for Binder Jetting
Design for Additive

Manufacturing (DfAM): Binder
Jetting Technology demystified
Able to achieve quicker build speeds and lower cost per part than its
rival technologies, metal Binder Jetting (BJT) has generated increasing
interest and rapid industry investment over the past two years. But while
many engineers are now becoming familiar with the principles of design
for Powder Bed Fusion AM, design for BJT is less widely understood. In
this article, Olaf Diegel and Terry Wohlers attempt to demystify some of
the key factors that must be considered when designing parts for BJT.
Over the past two years, a lot of used, shrinking can range from 3% How metal BJT works
interest has developed in the use of to more than 20%. Because errors
metal Binder Jetting (BJT). Desktop from shrinkage magnify with size, A layer of metal powder is deposited
Metal, HP Inc. and others have and controlling it is difficult, users onto a build platform and a liquid
generated much of the attention of BJT tend to favour the technology binder is then applied using an
this class of AM technology is for the production of small parts. inkjet nozzle to form the shape of
getting. While some may be under Porosity and structural integrity are a slice of the part design. Where
the impression that metal BJT also considerations in BJT. the binder is applied, the powder
is a relatively new AM process, it
has been commercially available
for nearly two decades from The
ExOne Company. Höganäs’s Digital
Metal was second to make its BJT
technology available, first as a
service and more recently by selling
machines.
BJT offers some potential
advantages over alternatives such
as metal Powder Bed Fusion (PBF),
with cost being one of them. Taking
everything into account, the cost per
part can be lower for small parts
produced by BJT. Build speed, too,
is fast compared to some competing
AM technologies, which also factors
into its lower cost. BJT may offer
cost and speed advantages, but one
needs to consider other factors,
such as the part shrinkage that
occurs during sintering. Depending Fig. 1 Gears produced in 17-4PH stainless steel using ExOne’s metal Binder
on the process, metal and method Jetting technology (Courtesy The ExOne Company)
Design for Binder Jetting | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
particles in the layer bond together. The BJT process involves the used to produce details as small
The build-platform is then lowered, following steps and considerations: as 1 mm, but these features are
a new layer of powder spread on top, difficult to handle without damaging
and the process repeates until the 1. Binder Jetting them. This applies to both features
part geometry is completed within A machine deposits thin layers of and text on a part.
the powder bed. After completion, metal powder onto a build platform
the build platform is raised and the and applies a binder (i.e., liquid glue) 2. The ‘green’ state
loose powder removed. Green parts layer by layer. The minimum feature After the building phase is
must then be sintered into solid metal size for metal BJT is typically in the complete, the parts are in a fragile
parts. range of 2 mm. The process can be ‘green’ state. It is important to
consider the design of a part to
ensure it can be handled during this
temporary but critical phase. Green
A well-established technology variant: parts can be picked up, but they
Binder Jetting and infiltration to produce matrix have little strength and can easily
be broken.
materials such as ~ 60% stainless steel and ~ 40%
bronze 3. Powder removal
Loose powder around the parts
Once a green part has been the material ratio will be in the is carefully removed by brushing
produced, an alternative to range of 60–70% stainless steel and and/or vacuuming as part of a
sintering is infiltration by a second 30–40% bronze. Infiltrated parts will depowdering process to fully expose
material, such as bronze. The lower typically be about 90% dense. the green parts.
hardness of these materials makes The sprues and stilts typically
it easier to machine and polish have a surface area of about 4. Debinding and the ‘brown’ state
them. They can also exhibit useful 1–1.5 mm where they connect In the case of most BJT systems,
corrosion resistance properties. to the part, so the artefacts left a debinding process is needed to
When processing in this way, by these stilts and sprues after remove the main part of the binder
sprues and stilts need to be infiltration require finishing, usually system. The parts are placed in a
added to the part design to serve by machining. Any residual powder furnace to burn away the binder,
as passages that allow a molten around the model is removed by resulting in ‘brown’ parts. These are
metal to infiltrate. Since they are blasting it with air. Care must extremely fragile and will crumble if
still in a green state and fragile, be taken to not damage delicate touched.
they are fully surrounded with features.
sand, which acts as a temporary As the infiltration process can be 5. Sintering
support material. The model is labour intensive, its opportunities The parts are heated in a furnace
then infused with bronze at a high for high volume production may be until the particles of the metal
temperature, resulting in parts that limited, compared to Binder Jetting sinter and form a solid. Significant
are a two-alloy matrix. In the case followed by conventional debinding shrinking occurs with during
of a stainless steel/bronze part, and sintering. this phase, but the result is a
homogeneous part. Sintered BJT
parts typically have some internal
Bronze powder infiltrates the green part porosity, and are often around 97%
through capillary action when melted
dense. This means their as-sintered
mechanical properties are inferior
to the same material in wrought
Sand as form. As a point of comparison,
support metal PBF parts can be 99.5%
material
dense. It is common, however,
for high volumes of sintered
parts produced by Metal Injection
Green Moulding (MIM), technically similar
part
to metal Binder Jetting, to undergo
Stilt Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) to
Runner/Sprue
produce full dense parts. There is
little reason why this step cannot
also be applied to BJT parts, should
The bronze infiltration process (Courtesy The ExOne Company)
the application require it.
Is shrinking the curse of

metal BJT?
It is important to understand that
parts shrink, often significantly,
during the sintering step to
consolidation to near full density.
This is one of the biggest factors to
consider when using BJT for produc-
tion. The level of shrink will vary
between various systems, depending
on the volume of binder used. The
MIM industry learned to embrace
this aspect of the technology over
several decades and successfully
produces hundreds of millions of
parts annually for everything from
superalloy stator vanes to the stain-
less steel buttons for smartphones.
In BJT, the software provided by Fig. 2 Round all ‘knife’ edges to help prevent them from breaking, and fillet
machine manufacturers attempts internal corners to avoid stress concentrations
to compensate for shrinkage in
the CAD model, but many external
factors contribute, including the
part design and sintering furnace
parameters.
Proper part size and design

makes a big difference
Some companies recommend BJT
only for small parts, typically less
than 5 x 5 x 5 cm. Suppose a part
measures 10 mm in length and
dimensional error from shrinkage is
1%. The resulting error is 0.1 mm, Stress concentration crack
which may be within an acceptable
tolerance. If a part is 300 mm in
length, the error from shrink is
3 mm, which is less likely to be
within an acceptable tolerance. The Uneven thickness at corner,
silver lining to this cloud is that resulting in risk of residual stress
when a part shrinks, extremely and deformation
small features also shrink, effec-
tively increasing resolution. In this
way, you are able to plan for details
that are finer than is otherwise
possible, with improved surface
resolution.
Part design is a factor that a
designer can control. The key design
guideline for BJT is to avoid large
masses of material or uneven wall Filleted corner reduces risk of stress
thicknesses. These can cool at concentration and residual stress
different rates, so they are more
likely to cause the part to distort or
shrink unevenly. Fig. 3 Simple filleting reduces both stress concentrations and residual stress
Design for Binder Jetting | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
BJT does not have the same

support material requirements for
overhangs or down-facing surfaces
as PBF. Consequently, the down-
facing surface quality of BJT parts
is typically better. Gravity, however,
is the enemy during sintering and
whilst PBF-style supports are not
required, some designs may need
to be adapted with reinforcements
against slumping when sintering.
Fillet and round everything

A general design guideline is to
Fig. 4 Make parts strong enough to handle in their green state avoid sharp edges. If possible, fillet
and round all internal and external
corners. Sharp external corners
and knife edges can chip and crack
when depowdering, handling, or
heating while parts are in their green
state. Rounding the edges with at
least a 0.5 mm fillet prevents parts
Thin stem may not
be strong enough from breaking (Fig. 2). If required,
to support large sharp edges can be recreated when
mass of material post-processing the parts.
Internal corners are where stress
concentrations occur, so filleting
them reduces the problem and
improves the overall structural
strength of a part. Stress concentra-
Reinforcements for tions may cause a part to fail
stem will need to prematurely and residual stress
be removed after may cause distortion in a part when
sintering
sintering.
In the simple part shown in
Fig. 3, the sharp internal corner may
cause a stress crack. Also, the sharp
corner has a larger mass of material
than the horizontal and vertical
walls, resulting in residual stress
that can cause the wall to distort.
A filleted corner and an even wall
Thicker stem requires no thickness reduces the possibility of a
reinforcements and fillets to stress fracture.
prevent cracking
Fragile metal BJT parts
Until parts have been fully sintered,
Fig. 5 The stem design in the lowest image offers the greatest chance for
green BJT parts are very fragile,
success
so the entire design must take this
into consideration. Poor design may
result in parts being damaged during
handling, e.g. to move to a debinding
unit. Because of this temporary
fragility, certain shapes and
geometric features cannot be used. If
they are, a part may be built without
a problem, but you may not be able to
Fig. 6 For horizontal holes, use a teardrop or diamond shape whenever possible handle it in its green state. It is often
necessary to include strengthening that can be additively manufactured benefits, pitfalls, and design consider-
ribs or walls in a design that support with BJT are about 0.7 mm when ations. Both require strong knowledge
handling (Fig. 4). infiltrating bronze. For fully-sintered, of the process and material to
Fig. 5 shows three different homogeneous parts, the smallest is design for an optimum outcome.
designs of the same part, with 1.2 mm. Average powder particle size BJT is relatively new for production
significant differences in the stem also plays a role in the hole size that applications where structural integrity
design for greater green strength. is achievable. is important, however those familiar
with MIM can call upon that industry’s
Horizontal holes experience and research. PBF is
With BJT, building parts with circular Additional thoughts being used much more extensively for
horizontal holes can be problematic production, even for some structural
because the weight of the material BJT can be less expensive for applications. The key is to understand
above the hole will compress its producing relatively large volumes of the idiosyncrasies of each process
shape downward during the sintering small parts, compared to PBF. When and where they can add value to make
process. This is particularly severe using laser-based PBF in particular, the process commercially viable.
when large masses of material are parts cannot be stacked or nested
above the hole. If a distorted pipe is easily, which is possible with BJT. This
straight, it can be made round by a makes it possible to use a machine’s Authors
subsequent drilling operation. If the entire build volume by stacking parts
pipe is curved, achieving a round hole in the vertical direction. The build Olaf Diegel and Terry Wohlers
Wohlers Associates Inc
OakRidge Business Park
1511 River Oak Drive
“It is impossible to conclude whether BJT Fort Collins
Colorado 80525
or PBF are better or worse because both USA
have their benefits, pitfalls, and design www.wohlersassociates.com
considerations. Both require strong

Acknowledgments
knowledge of the process and material to
design for an optimum outcome.” Parts of this article were excerpted
from Olaf Diegel’s book A Practical
Guide to Design for Additive
Manufacturing. Thanks to Gianluca
can be difficult. For this reason, it is speed of BJT is also typically faster Mattaroccia, Engineering Fellow at
better to use teardrop or diamond- than with PBF. If plenty of sintering the Estée Lauder Companies, for
shaped holes whenever possible. furnace capacity is available for the reviewing this article.
In general, round holes larger green parts, the overall production
than 6 mm in diameter may distort time is attractive.
heavily, so teardrop or diamond- It is impossible to conclude
shaped holes are recommended whether BJT or PBF are better
(Fig. 6). The smallest horizontal holes or worse because both have their
Events guide | contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter |
Industry events
2020
Space Tech Expo Connect EBAM 2020 – International Conference on Electron
August 10-13 - Digital Event Beam Additive Manufacturing
www.spacetechexpo.com October 5-7, Erlangen, Germany
www.ebam.fau.de
3D Printing Asia Zone (Asiamold)
August 11-13, Guangzhou, China Euro PM2020 Virtual Congress
https://asiamold-china.cn.messefrankfurt.com/ October 5–7 - Digital Event
guangzhou/en/programme-events/3d-printing.html www.europm2020.com
PM China 2020 3D Print Congress & Exhibition

August 12-14, Shanghai, China October (TBC), Lyon, France
http://en.pmexchina.com www.3dprint-exhibition.com/en/
PM Life - Additive Manufacturing Module AM Summit 2020

August 24-28, Dresden, Germany October 27, Kastrup, Denmark
www.pmlifetraining.com/about/additive-manufacturing www.amsummit.dk
Formnext + PM South China Formnext

September 9–11, Shenzhen Shi, China November 10-13, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
https://formnext-pm.hk.messefrankfurt.com www.formnext.com
Manufacturing World Nagoya 2020 ASTM International Conference on Additive

September 9-11, Nagoya, Japan Manufacturing
www.japan-mfg-nagoya.jp/en-gb.html November 16-20, Orlando, FL, United States
https://amcoe.org/events/astm-international-
EPHJ Trade Show conference-on-additive-manufacturing-astm-icam
September 15-18, Le Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland
https://ephj.ch/en Space Tech Expo Europe
November 17-19, Bremen, Germany
Metal Additive Manufacturing Conference 2020 www.spacetechexpo.eu
September 30-October 2, Vienna, Austria
www.mamc2020.org Additive Manufacturing for Medical Devices
December 1-2 - Digital Event
www.pharma-iq.com/events-additive-medical-devices-
online
AMTech Expo
December 9-10, Mumbai, India
https://amtechexpo.in
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| contents | news | events | advertisers | website | e-newsletter | Events guide
Metal AM magazine is dedicated to driving awareness and development of metal Additive Manufacturing
and its related technologies. Key to this aim is our support of a range of international partner
conferences. View our complete events listing on www.metal-am.com
2021
MAPP 2nd International Conference PowderMet2021 & AMPM2021
January 13-14, Abingdon, United Kingdom June 1-2, Orlando, FL, United States
www.mapp.ac.uk/events/mapp-2nd-international- www.powdermet2021.org & www.ampm2021.org
conference
TCT 3SIXTY
Additive Manufacturing Strategies 2021 June 29 - July 1, Birmingham, UK
February 9-12 - Digital Event www.tct3sixty.com
www.additivemanufacturingstrategies.com
EPMA Powder Metallurgy Summer School
MIM2021 July (TBC), Ciudad Real, Spain
February 22-24, West Palm Beach, FL, United States www.summerschool.epma.com
www.mim2021.org
AMTC4
5th Additive Manufacturing Forum 2021 October 12-14, Aachen, Germany
March 11-12, Berlin, Germany www.munichtechconference.com
www.am-forum.eu
Euro PM2021
AMUG 2021 October 17-20, Lisbon, Portugal
March 14-18, Chicago, IL, United States www.europm2021.com
www.amug.com
Hannover Messe – Home of Industrial Pioneers

April 12-16, Hannover, Germany
www.hannovermesse.de
Rapid + tct
April 26-29, Chicago, IL, United States
www.rapid3devent.com
Space Tech Expo USA 2021

May 10-12, Long Beach, CA, United States
www.spacetechexpo.com
HI-AM Conference 2021

June 1-2, Halifax, Canada
www.nserc-hi-am.ca/2021
and access all our

back issues for free!
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advertisers’ index
3D Lab Sp. z o.o. 60 Matsuura Machinery Corporation 36

3D Printing Asia (Asiamold) 104 Metal AM magazine 96
Additive Manufacturing Users Group 132 Metal Powder and Process Ltd. 80
Alphastar Corporation 59 MIM2021 166
AMPM2021 146 Mimete S.r.l. 67
ASTM International 88 Nanoval GmbH & Co. KG 58
Carbolite Gero Ltd 20 Nel ASA 21
Centorr Vacuum Industries 43 Ningbo Hiper Vacuum Technology Co.,Ltd. 32
CM Furnaces Inc. 75 NSL Analytical Services, Inc. 79
CNPC Powder Group Co., Ltd. 26 Ntron Gas Measurement Ltd. 14
CREMER Thermoprozessanlagen GmbH 81 Oerlikon Additive 4
Digital Metal 8 Osaka Titanium Technologies Co.,Ltd. 63
DSH Technologies 93 PM China 2020 160
Elnik Systems 24 Praxair Inside front cover
EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems 35 Pyrogenesis Additive 64
EPMA PM Life - AM Module 95 RAPID + TCT 2021 118
Euro PM2020 Virtual Congress 102 Renishaw plc 13
Farsoon Technologies 31 Rösler Oberflächentechnik GmbH 44
Formetrix Inc. 42 Sandvik Osprey 17
Formnext 106 SECO/WARWICK, INC. 74
Formnext + PM South China 154 Shining 3D Tech 54
GF Machining Solutions Management SA. 47/49 Sigma Labs Inc. 50
GKN Additive 22/23 Sintavia 18
Granutools 25 SLM Solutions Group AG 57
Hirtenberger AG 87 Solukon Maschinenbau GmbH 41
Hosokawa Alpine AG 30 Space Tech Expo Europe 138
HP Inc. 15 TAV Vacuum Furnaces SPA 29
IMR metal powder technologies GmbH 28 Tekna 6
Indo-MIM 69 The ExOne Company Outside back cover
Kymera International 83 ULT AG 51
LIBERTY Steel Group 85 United States Metal Powders, Inc. 77
LÖMI GmbH 91 VDM Metals GmbH 53
Material Technology Innovations Co., Ltd 73 Velo3D Inc. Inside back cover
Materialise 10 Voestalpine AG 39
Materials Solutions 70 Wohlers Associates 99
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Vol. 6 No.

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It’s Tru2Spec™ is the leading custom alloy

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Publishing Director, News Editor

Metal Additive Manufacturing | Summer 2020 3

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TO INDUSTRIALIZE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

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