Current 3D/AM news

One-stop-shop for motion control demands of AM

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers increased design freedom, faster prototyping, reduced material waste, and the ability to create on-demand, decentralized production networks. AM has long disrupted the prototyping stage of product development, but recent advances in speed of operation, improved materials, and optimization software, now see AM becoming a disruptive force in production scenarios.

High-end, precise motion control systems are critical for the accuracy of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies due to their ability to deliver precise and coordinated movements of components. In AM, layer-by-layer deposition or selective laser sintering/melting requires precise control over the motion of the build platform, printhead, or laser. The accuracy of these movements directly affects the final dimensional accuracy and quality of the printed parts. With the right motion control systems, manufacturers can achieve tight tolerances, ensuring that each layer is accurately positioned and aligned, resulting in precise geometries and dimensional accuracy.

As AM transitions from a prototype to a production technology, the importance of precise motion control solutions increases significantly. In prototyping, the focus is often on creating functional proofs-of-concept or small-scale models, where tolerances and accuracy requirements may be more relaxed.

In production-scale AM, there’s a higher demand for consistent and repeatable quality across large quantities of parts. Precise motion control ensures that each layer is accurately positioned, minimizing dimensional variations and maintaining the desired geometries throughout the production process.

Precise motion control solutions play a vital role in optimizing production efficiency. As AM is adopted for production applications, speed and productivity become key factors. Precise control over the motion of components allows for optimized path planning, reduced unnecessary movements, and faster deposition rates. This increased efficiency leads to higher throughput and cost-effectiveness in production scenarios.

ALIO INDUSTRIES
https://alioindustries.com

High-performance titanium powders for AM medical applications

6K Additive, a division of 6K Inc., announced a partnership with France-based Z3DLab for production of its advanced ZTi alloys range. The partnership will drive new advanced additive manufacturing (AM) materials for applications in the medical implant market with additional material developments for aerospace in the future.

6K Additive will process Z3DLab’s proprietary ZTi alloys through its UniMelt technology to produce spherical, dense powders to be used for AM. The company’s process delivers up to 100% yield, making the development of new materials commercially possible.

Z3DLab’s ZTi Powders include materials for powder bed fusion (PBF) and directed energy deposition (DED) systems with formulations improving the ductility, wear resistance, and heat oxidation relative to Ti64. The ZTi-Med alloys range includes ZTM14N, a biocompatible titanium ternary alloy designed to maintain a good strength-ductility ratio with exceptional elasticity. The very low elastic modulus of 38GPa matches the elastic modulus range of human bone (~5GPa to 30GPa) making this material suitable for medical implants. Medical implants manufactured with ZTM14N have an almost 10x better resistance to inflammatory species vs other titanium alloys, with a bone interface contact (BIC) value of 95%.

6K ADDITIVE
https://www.6kinc.com