Industrial Additive Manufacturing
Industrial additive manufacturing applications are primarily linked to prototyping in the automotive field and early adoption for production in the aerospace segment, which is by far the biggest user of polymer and especially metal 3D printing technologies.
As the machines production throughput has increased in recent years, industrial adoption of AM is now beginning to extend to short and medium batch production for the automotive segment as well. Furthermore, as new metal and polymer technologies now enable the production of larger parts at reduced costs, the use of AM has begun to contaminate the energy segment (with applications in both traditional and sustainable energy production and transport) and the marine segment.
While the cost and time reduction benefits of AM technologies for weight and (topology) optimization, subassemblies and generative part design have been well documented, several hurdles still exist that are limiting a widespread adoption of these key technologies in full end-to-end digital and automated production cycles. Several of these hurdles are inherent to the AM technologies and related material availability, however, the biggest challenges remain linked to process standardization, part finishing and repeatability.
Today every major aerospace or automotive manufacturers has made some significant stride toward adoption of AM both for internal R&D and production and by leveraging external 3D printing service bureaus as a key resource for outsourced supplies. Every AM related industrial project is growing and the trend is clearly accelerating.
Latest industrial AM news:
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In 2019, Russian Helicopters Holding Company (part of Rostec) revealed – via a press release published by Modern Ghana – that it is planning to re-engineer approximately 30 different helicopter parts to be manufactured using 3D printing technology and integrate them to serial production starting from 2020. “This year we are…
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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. The DoE, which supports various grant, loan and financing programs,…
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3D Systems has been awarded a $15 million contract by the Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory, also known as ARL, to create the world’s largest, fastest, most precise metal 3D printer. This printer will revolutionize key supply chains associated with long-range munitions, next-generation combat vehicles, helicopters, and air…
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Though bioprinting technologies are steadily advancing, uses for bioprinters have largely been limited to laboratory settings. Though this research-focused side of bioprinting is essential, there are a handful of efforts that are aiming to take bioprinting beyond the lab. For instance, there is a growing trend to bring bioprinting to…
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Texas-based precision machining company Knust-Godwin recently acquired four RenAM 500Q metal 3D printers from UK-based Renishaw. Since implementing the metal AM systems, the company has reported a drastic reduction in lead times for the production of large, complex components for oilfield instrumentation. Like many industrial companies, when Knust-Godwin first adopted…
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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…
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After many years in stealth mode, California-based VELO3D emerged in August 2018 with the release of its end-to-end Sapphire metal 3D printer. The industry took notice. The system, based on the company’s Intelligent Fusion technology, gained significant attention for its promise of support-free 3D printing and production capabilities. Since then, VELO3D…
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When Charles Parsons invented the steam turbine in 1884, it was a monumental advance. More than a century later, engineers are still relying on steam to operate the turbines that generate much of the world’s power. GE wants to take this technology to the next level by building a CO2…
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Italian 3D printing company Roboze has carved itself out an important place in the large-scale 3D printing market, largely thanks to its high-performance plastic printing capabilities. Since unveiling its large-format Argo 500 3D printer in 2017, the company has seen substantial growth and has continued on its journey of becoming…
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Anisoprint, a company based in Russia and Luxembourg specializing in composite fiber 3D printing, has revealed one of its newest customers: Schunk Carbon Technology. The company, a division of the Germany-based Schunk Group, is a global leader in the development, manufacture and application of carbon and ceramic solutions. Schunk Carbon…
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