News and Insights of 3D Printing and Manufacturing
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh’s reputable Swanson School of Engineering have been awarded over $1 million by the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) and the university to develop a quality assurance method for additive manufacturing next-generation gas turbine components.
Despite the many advances in Laser Powder Bed Fusion technology in recent years—including multi-laser capabilities and even support-free builds—powder bed fusion has remained limited by certain factors, namely, consistency. In fact, speaking to many people across the industry, consistency and reliability are two critical points that keep coming up as hurdles to the full industrialization of AM.
Swedish company Sandvik has just announced it has acquired a 30% stake in Beam-IT, an Italy-based provider of metal additive manufacturing services and 3D printed end-use components for a range of industries, including automotive, energy and aerospace.
FIT Additive Manufacturing Group and Mitsui & Co. Machine Tech Ltd., a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co., Ltd. have announced their cooperation in Japan. The partnership aims to provide Japanese manufacturing companies with the additive manufacturing solutions of FIT, the German AM specialist.
M. Holland, a distributor of thermoplastic resins, has appointed Haleyanne Freedman to the position of Market Manager, 3D Printing. In her new role, Freedman will oversee the company’s growing 3D printing team, as well as develop a market strategy and expand M. Holland’s 3D printing portfolio. Freedman will also be responsible for working with industrial clients, providing guidance on the adoption of additive manufacturing.
Australian company Titomic Limited is partnering with Danish engineering company and mining equipment producer FLSmidth to explore the use of Titomic Kinetic Fusion technology (TKF) for manufacturing high-wear resistant parts for mining applications. The companies will initially collaborate through a production trial agreement to assess the potential of the TKF additive process for the mining sector.
Last month, UK-based metal AM powder manufacturer Metalysis appeared to be in dire straights, as it announced it was placed into administration. Since then, things are looking up as mining company Power Resources Group (PRG) has announced it is buying the metal AM company out of administration.
In April 2019, German engineering conglomerate thyssenkrupp announced its plans to open an AM TechCenter Hub in Singapore, expanding its operations in the ASEAN region. To mark the recent launch of the new additive manufacturing center, thyssenkrupp has published a white paper that investigates the potential of AM in the region.
Despite all the logistic benefits of additive manufacturing, including streamlined supply chains, reduced inventory needs and shipment costs, the technology introduces a set of new challenges related to security. Especially in industries where stringent qualifications are needed, security risks—including compromised or stolen part files—must be addressed through sophisticated authentication and protection processes.
Metal AM specialist Sciaky, Inc. has announced a research and development partnership with high performance alloy processor Aubert & Duval and aerospace company Airbus. The collaboration, which is driven by the Saint Exupéry Institute for Research in Technology (IRT), will aim to combine traditional metallurgy with newer wire-fed metal 3D printing processes to establish new manufacturing methods for producing aircraft parts made from titanium alloys.