The ability to additively manufacture near net shape parts has long been a holy grail of manufacturing. As a result, Metal 3D printing (the technology that seems likely to deliver on that promise), has carried an immense amount of “hype.” The blind excitement for the process largely overshadow the actual benefits of metal 3D printing, which paint the picture of a unique fabrication method that can specifically add value to the manufacturing process in a few key ways.
Siemens Energy is the global energy business of the Siemens group and offers a comprehensive portfolio of technology as well as digital and traditional services for utilities, independent power producers, transmission system operators, the oil and gas industry, and other energy-intensive industries. In support of its energy operations, the company recently opened the Siemens Innovation Center in Orlando, Florida. It is the only one of its kind in the U.S. to offer a unique pairing of design with manufacturing, implementing robotics, rapid prototyping, scanning, digital tools and on-site metal additive manufacturing. The Siemens innovation center focuses on rapid problem solving supporting the company’s energy businesses.
Metal 3D printing is changing how we think about fabricating with metal, and as the technology becomes more and more prevalent on manufacturing floors, it’s important for businesses to gain application-centric intuition about the process. Just as machinists understand which components are best made on a waterjet vs. a 3-axis mill, it is essential to know which parts are a good fit for additive manufacturing and 3D printing applications.
Founded in 1973, Guhring UK — the Birmingham-based subsidiary of the Guhring Group — manufactures precision cutting tools. The company began as a stockholder of the more standardized cutting and milling tools. Today Guhring UK manufactures bespoke cutting and milling tools for some of the world’s largest companies, including BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Airbus, and BAE Systems. Guhring’s expertise in manufacturing carbide and polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutting tools is world-renowned. Their range of PCD tools are made-to-order to suit customer requirements, and are manufactured by brazing ultra high-hardness industrial-grade diamond cutting tips onto bespoke hardened tool steel bodies.
There are two main drivers of whether or not a metal alloy is printed today: printability and demand. Though there are a wide variety of metal 3D printing processes out there, nearly all rely on metal powders. These materials take two forms in printing: raw 3D printing metal powders, or bound powder 3d printing metal filament. As a result, the metal materials printable today are to a large degree constrained by powder availability and whether or not that powder can be effectively bound. Aluminum, as an example, is notoriously difficult to print well and is as a result relatively uncommon.
At Markforged, our mission is to reinvent manufacturing. We obsessively focus on innovation at the intersection of precision engineered hardware, strong materials, and intelligent software. Our unique combination of core competencies and proven ability to deliver customer value will continue to accelerate the adoption of Additive Manufacturing, and reinvent manufacturing everywhere.
Caldwell Manufacturing is a global window and door hardware manufacturer based in upstate New York. “We’re an integrated supply partner,” says Caldwell Manufacturing CEO, Eric Mertz. “The springs that hold a window or door open, the hardware, the locks, the latches, all the mechanical hardware that makes a window or door operate, that’s what we're focused on.”
When 3D printing first arose, the imagination of users and producers alike militated against real-world use. Now expectations have slowed down as the technology has sped up to meet in the middle. There are $1,000 printers today that compare favorably to the $50,000 printers of a decade ago.
RPG Industries is a full-service manufacturer working with automotive, aerospace, and oil industry clients. Started in 1995, the company primarily offers EDM, CNC machining, waterjet cutting, and additive manufacturing services.
While metal 3D printing is not replacing traditional manufacturing methods, it is changing how we think about fabricating metal parts. The basic physical difference in how objects are made with additive produces some major functional differences. The most important of these functional differences is that additive manufacturing can be used to create complex geometries that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods.