Articles Tagged with ''additive manufacturing''

GKN Aerospace commissioned what it says is the world’s largest known laser directed energy deposition additive-manufacturing (AM) cell as part of its new Global Technology Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Cell 3 is the next step in pushing the boundaries of large-scale additive manufacturing of titanium aircraft structures through the process of laser metal deposition with wire (LMD-w). It will enable the development of five-meter titanium components using the LMD-w process. According to GKN Aerospace, LMD-w has shown proficiencies in producing components faster and with significantly reduced lead times.

Stratasys Ltd., a manufacturer of industrial 3D printers, and Desktop Metal Inc. entered into a definitive agreement whereby the companies will combine in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $1.8 billion. The transaction unites the polymer strengths of Stratasys with the complementary industrial mass-production leadership of Desktop Metal’s brands, creating an additive-manufacturing company that is expected to be well-positioned to serve the evolving needs of customers in manufacturing.

Sintavia LLC, a designer and additive manufacturer of complex mechanical systems and components for the aerospace and defense industries, has been awarded a contract from Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc. to develop a dedicated additive-manufacturing (AM) facility in support of the United States Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. The vertically integrated facility will develop and additively manufacture advanced nuclear propulsion systems for both in-production and in-development submarine programs of the Navy, including the next-generation nuclear-powered attack submarine. The facility, located in Hollywood, Fla., is expected to open in the second quarter of 2023.
“As the U.S. Navy looks to develop advanced submarine platforms, it is imperative that additive technology plays a central role in that development. We are committed to the success of these Navy programs,” said Brian Neff, Sintavia’s founder and CEO.

Keeping the electricity grid up and running through summer heat waves and winter deep freezes is an ongoing balancing act. Power lines that stretch for miles are vulnerable to wind and fire. 

A non-explosible aluminum alloy feedstock for additive manufacturing (AM) has been developed that reduces the hazards associated with day-to-day handling of materials for 3D printing.

MELD Manufacturing Corp. spun off a new business, MELD PrintWorks Corp., which will utilize MELD’s patented 3D-printing technology as an additive service addressing the needs of multiple industries that struggle to get forgings, castings and other metal parts. MELD Manufacturing will continue its focus on delivery of technology through machines, training and certification. MELD PrintWorks will have a singular focus on serving customer demand for printed parts made with MELD technology. The new company, which is an independent organization with separate management and operating teams, launched in a Virginia facility separate from MELD Manufacturing’s current factory.

Desktop Metal received a $9 million order from a German automaker for binder-jet additive-manufacturing systems used for the mass production of powertrain components. This is the second order from the same automaker in less than 12 months, bringing the total amount of production AM systems ordered to $16.9 million to support digitally casted powertrain components for a popular car line.

GKN Aerospace will relocate its North America additive manufacturing (AM) center of excellence to the Lone Star Commerce Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The 100,000-square-foot facility will initially house research and development of laser metal deposition with wire (LMD-w) AM technology for large-scale titanium aerostructures. Early in 2023, GKN Aerospace will transfer existing equipment and personnel from Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility in Tennessee to the new site in Texas. Over the next few years, GKN Aerospace expects to transform the facility into its fourth Global Technology Center to complement existing centers in Sweden, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

GKN Aerospace acquired Swedish additive-manufacturing system business Permanova Lasersystem AB as part of its goal to transform its supply chain and offer more sustainable and advanced material solutions. Permanova Lasersystem, based in Gothenburg, provides advanced laser technology and currently supplies laser welding and laser metal deposition systems to GKN Aerospace. The acquisition will strengthen GKN Aerospace’s additive fabrication, accelerate large-scale AM industrialization and enable future business growth. According to GKN Aerospace, additive manufacturing reduces material and energy usage by up to 80% compared to traditional manufacturing techniques.

One of the most critical innovations surrounding the extension of cold-spray materials processing from a non-structural repair or coating acquisition into a structural repair and solid-state additive manufacturing (AM) is the development of thermal-preprocessing technology for the feedstock powder.