Guide to additive manufacturing

Renishaw’s additive manufacturing (AM) page is an information hub to educate customers and the wider engineering community on the possibilities of AM and its business impact, helping increase the use of AM technology in mainstream manufacturing.

Featured is the beginner’s guide to AM, demonstrating how users can optimize metal AM to take advantage of the design freedom, performance, and efficiency. It also explains how understanding the particular AM process characteristics are essential to waste and cost reduction.

Platform integration for materials information

Granta Design’s Granta MI system for materials information management will be integrated with Dassault Systèmes’ 3DExperience platform. Information from a company’s materials database will be available to teams working on the 3DExperience platform. Designers, engineers, and simulation analysts can access information on materials and properties, and check that requirements on their structural behavior, cost, application, compliance, or sustainability are fulfilled.

Improved and consistent access to materials data throughout the design, development, and manufacturing processes boosts innovation, reduces time to market, and lowers risk of product design errors or poor performance.

3D powder cabinet; controlled cleaning

The ADDvance powder cabinet is atmosphere-regulated to protect powder integrity prior to use, improving reproducibility of additive manufacturing (AM) and other powder metals (PM) processes.

The cabinet continuously tests internal temperature and humidity levels, selectively using a purge gas to regulate the internal atmosphere if changes are detected. When cabinet doors are opened and closed, a high-volume flow of purge gas is triggered to quickly remove moisture, and then a lower volume gas stream keeps humidity levels consistently low.

Also available is ADDvance Cryoclean technology, which uses a combination of CO² snow particles and a blasting abrasive to remove particles and difficult residues from 3D-printed parts. The system produces CO₂ snow on-demand by feeding liquid CO₂ into a cleaning chamber, making it environmentally friendly and cost-effective with no additional cleaning requirements. Without moisture to corrode metals, there is no need for drying and no wastewater.

Acquisition expands 3D printed connections

Xilloc Medical B.V.’s acquisition of OTN B.V. expands its product portfolio in the orthopedic market. Xilloc currently uses 3D printing to produce patient-specific implants, and OTN’s Click Safety Adapter makes the solid, safe connection between an implant and the patient’s prosthetic leg. Prior to the acquisition, Xilloc and OTN’s collaboration led to the development of an improved version of the Click Safety Adapter.

Expanded coverage in North America

PostProcess Technologies has signed agreements to expand its channel partner coverage in North America. 

Partners representation by region are:

AdvancedTek, a Platinum Partner reseller for Stratasys and Desktop Metal 3D printers, will represent in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota. 

Cimetrix, a division of Javelin Technologies, is a Canadian AM solutions provider specializing in supporting applications with stringent requirements, including high-performance prototypes, tooling, and manufacturing aids, as well as end-use parts. 

Fisher Unitech, one of the largest providers of Stratasys 3D printers, will represent in the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and New England. 

Technical Laboratory Systems Inc., a provider of additive manufacturing solutions, skills training equipment, and software for advanced manufacturing, industrial maintenance, and engineering segments, and a top 30 Stratasys Platinum reseller that also represents Renishaw and Desktop Metal, will represent in the South-Central U.S.