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3D printed filter prevents bacteria build up
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
‘What is decisive, however, is to evaluate AM from the view of the companies’ customers, to think ahead about their requirements and challenges and to express these clearly,’ the company said in a press release.
Metal Powder Report Volume 70, Number 1 January/February 2015
AM requires certain investments in technology and a specific knowledge base, a new way of approaching design and manufacturing and also often entails new business models which can only be
implemented with the support of a company’s management board, according to EOS, stressing that changes to the process should be made at the design stage. EOS; www.eos.info
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
3D printed filter prevents bacteria build up Croft Additive Manufacturing (CAM) has used additive manufacturing (AM) to create a filter that prevents the accumulation of bacteria, making it suitable for use within the pharmaceutical or food and drink industries. When traditionally manufactured, a formed steel U-section ring is used to hold
a disc of mesh in place, increasing its tension and providing added strength. However, this leaves gaps between the steel ring and mesh, and the weft and warp strands of the woven wire, known as ‘bug traps’, and bacteria and dirt can easily gather here. By using AM, CAM has created a filter which contains no bug traps, reducing
the risk of material accumulation and potential biochemical contamination. Croft’s filter can also be cleaned more easily and meet much higher standards, reducing downtime and the need for replacement parts. Croft Additive Manufacturing; www.additivemanufacture.co.uk
GE invests US$32 million in new 3D printing research center GE says that it plans to invest US$32 million to build a new research and education center focused on additive technologies in Pennsylvania. ‘We want to light the fire behind additive,’ said Greg Morris, who leads additive manufacturing research at GE Aviation. ‘This is still a young tool, but it’s also a very powerful and disruptive tool. We want to maximize its use across all of GE’s businesses.’ ‘We made a big bet that additive manufacturing is not a flash in a pan,’ he added. ‘We know this is a way we are going to make various parts in the future. We are now in the process of training people and building awareness throughout the company. Engineers need to realize that they have this very powerful and enabling tool at their disposal.’ GE will use the new 125,000 ft2 facility, to train designers and engineers on additive
A 3D-printed fuel nozzle for the LEAP. Image credit: CFM International.
manufacturing design and production, and work closely with students at nearby Carnegie Mellon University, Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh. The center will have 3D printers and other additive machines that can work both with plastics and metal. GE businesses will have access to the machines to handle overflow orders, make prototypes and produce new parts without spending capital on their own. Besides using additive manufacturing to make things, the center’s 50 engineers will also work on developing new materials for additive technologies. The new center is scheduled to open in 2015. GE has opened five ‘advanced manufacturing’ centers in the US in the last two years covering power and water, aviation and oil and gas. GE; www.ge.com
Renishaw introduces 3D printer for industrial production Renishaw has developed an additive manufacturing (AM machine) designed specifically for production manufacturing. This is in comparison to Renishaw’s AM250 system which is more suitable for flexible manufacturing and research applications where changes between materials are a requirement. In designing the new printer, provisionally named the EVO Project, Renishaw says that it focused on automation, monitoring technologies and reduced operator interaction, making it suitable for single material industrial production. Powder handling is almost entirely hands off, whilst powder 44
Renishaw has developed an additive manufacturing (AM machine) designed specifically for production manufacturing.
recirculation, recycling and recovery are all carried out within the inert atmosphere of the system, protecting both the user and the integrity of the material. The EVO Project machine incorporates a 500 W laser, a high capacity filtration system, a 19 in. HMI user interface and intelligent workflow to reduce the need for operator interaction. The printer is the first additive manufacturing system designed and engineered in-house at the company and is planned to be available in the second-half of 2015. Renishaw; www.renishaw.com
‘What is decisive, however, is to evaluate AM from the view of the companies’ customers, to think ahead about their requirements and challenges and to express these clearly,’ the company said in a press release.
Metal Powder Report Volume 70, Number 1 January/February 2015
AM requires certain investments in technology and a specific knowledge base, a new way of approaching design and manufacturing and also often entails new business models which can only be
implemented with the support of a company’s management board, according to EOS, stressing that changes to the process should be made at the design stage. EOS; www.eos.info
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
3D printed filter prevents bacteria build up Croft Additive Manufacturing (CAM) has used additive manufacturing (AM) to create a filter that prevents the accumulation of bacteria, making it suitable for use within the pharmaceutical or food and drink industries. When traditionally manufactured, a formed steel U-section ring is used to hold
a disc of mesh in place, increasing its tension and providing added strength. However, this leaves gaps between the steel ring and mesh, and the weft and warp strands of the woven wire, known as ‘bug traps’, and bacteria and dirt can easily gather here. By using AM, CAM has created a filter which contains no bug traps, reducing
the risk of material accumulation and potential biochemical contamination. Croft’s filter can also be cleaned more easily and meet much higher standards, reducing downtime and the need for replacement parts. Croft Additive Manufacturing; www.additivemanufacture.co.uk
GE invests US$32 million in new 3D printing research center GE says that it plans to invest US$32 million to build a new research and education center focused on additive technologies in Pennsylvania. ‘We want to light the fire behind additive,’ said Greg Morris, who leads additive manufacturing research at GE Aviation. ‘This is still a young tool, but it’s also a very powerful and disruptive tool. We want to maximize its use across all of GE’s businesses.’ ‘We made a big bet that additive manufacturing is not a flash in a pan,’ he added. ‘We know this is a way we are going to make various parts in the future. We are now in the process of training people and building awareness throughout the company. Engineers need to realize that they have this very powerful and enabling tool at their disposal.’ GE will use the new 125,000 ft2 facility, to train designers and engineers on additive
A 3D-printed fuel nozzle for the LEAP. Image credit: CFM International.
manufacturing design and production, and work closely with students at nearby Carnegie Mellon University, Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh. The center will have 3D printers and other additive machines that can work both with plastics and metal. GE businesses will have access to the machines to handle overflow orders, make prototypes and produce new parts without spending capital on their own. Besides using additive manufacturing to make things, the center’s 50 engineers will also work on developing new materials for additive technologies. The new center is scheduled to open in 2015. GE has opened five ‘advanced manufacturing’ centers in the US in the last two years covering power and water, aviation and oil and gas. GE; www.ge.com
Renishaw introduces 3D printer for industrial production Renishaw has developed an additive manufacturing (AM machine) designed specifically for production manufacturing. This is in comparison to Renishaw’s AM250 system which is more suitable for flexible manufacturing and research applications where changes between materials are a requirement. In designing the new printer, provisionally named the EVO Project, Renishaw says that it focused on automation, monitoring technologies and reduced operator interaction, making it suitable for single material industrial production. Powder handling is almost entirely hands off, whilst powder 44
Renishaw has developed an additive manufacturing (AM machine) designed specifically for production manufacturing.
recirculation, recycling and recovery are all carried out within the inert atmosphere of the system, protecting both the user and the integrity of the material. The EVO Project machine incorporates a 500 W laser, a high capacity filtration system, a 19 in. HMI user interface and intelligent workflow to reduce the need for operator interaction. The printer is the first additive manufacturing system designed and engineered in-house at the company and is planned to be available in the second-half of 2015. Renishaw; www.renishaw.com