Tag: Metal manufacture

How 3D printing metals will disrupt the supply chain

Over the past two years, additive manufacturing has emerged as an attractive alternative due to its unique ability to manufacture “on demand.”

Companies have been at the whim of the fragile global supply chain during the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which has led to unprecedented delays in shipments worldwide. During this time, 3D printing has proven itself as an innovative solution to help manufacturers regain their autonomy. At the same time, it has introduced a profound new mechanism of manufacturing that is bringing production closer to end users.

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GE Aviation moves production of four land/marine turbine parts from casting to metal additive manufacturing

GE Aviation has projected cost savings of 35% after switching the production of four land/marine turbine bleed air parts from casting to metal 3D printing.

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The aerospace company worked with GE Additive to additively manufacture the four bleed air components, with the cost savings expected to be enough to retire the old casting moulds forever. Harnessing 3D printing, GE Aviation also saw significant time reductions through the conversion process, getting to a final prototype inside ten months, where as it has previously taken between 12 and 18 months when developing turbine parts.

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Fighting tradition when implementing 3D metal printing

In a recent webinar, Chris Billings, the co-founder of Duncan Machine Products (DMP), which is a partner with my company, shared a parable that cut straight to a hurdle faced by people in their everyday lives and teams within businesses, both small and large. The story gives body to a nebulous force that holds us back, keeps us from advancing and dooms us to achieve the same results.

oil pumps at sunset, industrial oil pumps equipment.

The often unrecognized force is a strong headwind at best, and a brick wall at worst, when change offers advantages. In simple terms, this obstacle is tradition.

Chris shared the “Grandma’s Ham” story to illustrate the paradigm he instills in his precision machine shop. Paraphrasing Zig Ziglar’s words from his book See You at the Top, Chris illustrated the human aspect of the challenge to change, to innovate, to do things differently.

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The TRUE economics of metal additive manufacturing: What you need to know to succeed

Between enabling profound new designs and upending the traditional supply chain, the unlimited potential with metal 3D printing will transform the manufacturing landscape.  Indeed, the transformation has already begun. But, getting metal AM into production is taking a lot longer than many media pundits predicted. It’s even progressing much slower than many “in-the-know” industry insiders expected.

Why is mass adoption so slow with metal 3D printing, especially in production?  It really boils down to one word: economics. If the economics work, the application moves forward into production.  If not, it’s dead on arrival. The numbers need to work because when it comes to production competitive manufacturing, technologies come into play.  Customers start to say things like, “Well, if I make a couple of modifications to the design I can use CNC machining or metal injection molding and save a huge amount on the production cost.”

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Which metals are best for 3D metal manufacturing?

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A metallurgist shares insights on choosing the ideal metals for 3D metal manufacturing and ensuring quality production.

In this article, a brief introduction to commonly used metal and alloy powders for additive manufacturing (AM) is given. In addition, the reader will gain a basic understanding of metal structure, metallurgy, properties, and state-of-the-art in-process quality control measures used to reliably influence the performance of a part in service. For a more rigorous study of the AM process, structure, and properties of metallic components, the reader is referred to a recent review article1 and the comprehensive overview book on the fundamental elements and processes used to 3D print metal.

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Machine Learning makes metal 3D printing more efficient

An aerial view of the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Image via mun: planetRussian researchers have used machine learning to make metal 3D printing more efficient.

3D printers require fine tuning of positioning and control algorithms using mathematical models to reach optimal performance. This is a lengthy and arduous process and it could take weeks to set printing parameters. Even then, the possibility of printing error is always present.

To overcome such problems scientists at the Laboratory of Lightweight Materials and Structures of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) have developed a neural network for a metal 3D printer.

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10 things you don’t know about modern metal 3D printing

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There’s a lot to like about the additive manufacturing of metal parts, but there’s a lot you need to know before getting started.

In a field that’s advancing as rapidly as metal 3D printing, it can be easy to fall behind. Some of the most recent developments across the industry have been game-changing, and it’s important for manufacturers to know what’s out there. For that reason, and without further ado, here’s the comprehensive list of the 10 most important things you don’t know about metal 3D printing.

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Will 3D printing disrupt the metalworking industry?

Based on the survey, machinery companies have high potential to realize great benefits with 3D printing.

Historically, metalworking has involved a process called subtractive manufacturing, where a metal block is put inside a computer-controlled machine. The machine cuts the block into desired shapes that later become automotive, aerospace, or electronic parts. In most cases, it takes multiple cutting steps and processes to create a component, given the complexity of the desired shape.

The advent of 3D printing (sometimes called additive manufacturing or AM) could potentially disrupt the traditional metalworking process. In 3D printing, powdered materials are joined to create a solid object in almost any shape. The technology poses a significant challenge to metalworking companies, given that metal parts can be printed in only a single step, resulting in lower cost per unit and lower lead time at low volumes.

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Metal AM: Metal Additive Manufacturing hits critical mass with 875% growth

PrototypingRapid prototyping technology, building parts by creating a series of successive layers, began in the 1980s in Japan and immediately became a subject of interest in the U.S. The first patent, which coined the term stereo lithography (SLA), was granted in 1986 to Chuck Hull in the U.S. His 3D Systems company created the first prototype equipment in 1987 and launched the first commercial equipment in 1988.

Metal AM Beginnings: By the early 1990s, a half-dozen technologies based on layering principles were in the early stages of commercialization. Many subsequent approaches evolved from using liquids as the base material to using powders. Until the advent of powders, it was technically impossible to consider metal prototypes. The race to achieve metal prototypes now began. Twenty-five years later, the industry has achieved metal additive prototypes and is on the cusp of widespread Metal Additive Manufacturing (Metal AM).

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How did GE Power Engineers learn from 3D printing mistakes to become leaders in field?

Epic failures often are just a precursor to great success in the realm of invention and innovation. Kassy Hart, a lead additive manufacturing engineer for GE Power, can certainly attest to this, and her team has their own corresponding motto relevant to the challenges in creating: ‘Fail fast to learn fast.’

Initially, Hart had a substantial learning curve in attempting to 3D print parts at GE Power’s Advanced Manufacturing Works in Greenville, South Carolina. She and her team were beginning to work in metal 3D printing. Hart made a metal 3D printed probe (an item called a super rake) for use in evaluating engines during testing. Build space was not taken into account correctly though, and Hart remembers the print expanding all the way to the edge, resulting in great difficulty for removal.

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