Specialized furnaces with integrated presses provide superior control of pressure and temperature to create better diffusion bonds when joining similar or dissimilar metals.

Much of the current research and development in additive manufacturing is devoted to making parts from just a few specific alloy compositions.

Centorr Vacuum Industries announced shipped a Sintervac AM furnace for the debind and sintering of additively manufactured parts to a leading firm in the 3D printing/additive-manufacturing industry. The 2-cubic-foot furnace is rated for operation to 2912°F (1600°C). The graphite furnace design includes robust graphite tube and block elements designed for long service life with a four-sided hot zone and integral graphite retort for excellent temperature uniformity. The retort also compartmentalizes the residual off-gassing from binder-jet materials used during part production, allowing them to be caught in the dual trapping system. The Sweepgas debind system allows for effective sweeping away of the process contaminants. Furnace control is via PLC with Centorr's custom-designed HMI visualization interface.

Sandvik acquired a 30% stake in privately owned Beam IT, a provider of metal additive-manufacturing (AM) services and advanced end-use components. Italy’s Beam IT supplies metal AM end components to demanding industries, including automotive, energy and aerospace, and holds several relevant quality certifications to serve these industries. The company has more than 20 powder-bed-fusion printers installed.

To support the global demand for its high-alloy products, Sweden’s Höganäs will expand its Johnstown, Pa., facility in North America. The project, which is expected to create 25 jobs, will add new production capabilities to support additive manufacturing and other technologies. The company will construct a 24,000-square-foot building and purchase new machinery.

HP Inc. opened its 3D Printing and Digital Manufacturing Center of Excellence in Barcelona, Spain. The facility brings together hundreds of additive-manufacturing experts in more than 150,000 square feet of space and is dedicated to the development of HP’s industrial 3D-printing portfolio. It integrates flexible and interactive layouts, co-development environments and fleets of HP metals and plastics 3D production systems to drive rapid and agile product development. Companies such as BASF, GKN Metallurgy, Siemens, Volkswagen and others across the automotive, industrial and healthcare markets will collaborate with HP on new 3D-printing and digital-manufacturing innovations at the Center.

HP and Siemens expanded their strategic alliance to help customers transform their businesses with industrial additive manufacturing (AM). Siemens and HP will incorporate systems and software innovations including overall product lifecycle management (PLM), AM factory optimization, industrial 3D printing and data intelligence, manufacturing execution and performance analytics.

Carpenter Technology Corp. announced the formation of its Carpenter Additive business unit. Carpenter Additive’s capabilities span the entire additive-manufacturing (AM) process, including: highly engineered, gas atomized powders; metal-powder lifecycle management solutions; finished component production capabilities; integrated AM and research-and-development facilities focused on technical solutions for customers; and industrial-scale AM and full post-processing capabilities.

Several topics seem to describe the state of the automotive industry at the moment: technology (AI), autonomous, electric and additive manufacturing. Let’s look at what’s happening in each of these areas.

GKN Powder Metallurgy opened its new North American headquarters and additive-manufacturing (AM) customer center in Auburn Hills, Mich. The 38,260-square-foot facility expands the company’s global 3D-printing network and extends its scope of in-house powder-metallurgy capabilities. Housing over 80 employees from the three GKN Powder Metallurgy businesses (Hoeganaes, GKN Sinter Metals and GKN Additive), the facility includes a 3,200-square-foot AM Customer Center equipped with two direct metal laser sinter (DMLS) printers.