The ExOne Company announced a collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), the largest U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) open science laboratory, to make further advancements in 3D binder-jetting additive manufacturing. The project is initially targeted on the development of technology for new binder systems, focusing on optimizing chemistry and process parameters for ExOne’s sand and metal systems. This includes leveraging ORNL’s instrumentation and advanced data-analysis methodologies.

Quintus Technologies will deliver a hot isostatic press (HIP) with uniform rapid quenching (URQ) to the FIT Additive Manufacturing Group. Coming online in September 2019 at FIT’s main facility in Lupburg, Germany, the HIP will enable the additive-manufacturing (AM) specialist to boost productivity while meeting the heightened industrial requirements for 3D-printed metal parts. Operating at a temperature of 2552°F (1400°C) and pressure of 30,000 psi (2,070 bar), the press has a capacity of 264 pounds (120 kg) per load in a work zone that measures 10.6 inches (270 mm) in diameter and 19.7 inches (500 mm) in height.

HRL Laboratories of Malibu, Calif., is commercializing its additively manufactured (3D-printed) high-strength aluminum, which has obtained the first-ever registration of an additive alloy from the Aluminum Association. HRL will be granted registration number 7A77.50 for the aluminum powder used to additively manufacture the alloy and number 7A77.60L for the printed alloy.

Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. acquired 3D Material Technologies (3DMT) from ARC Group Worldwide Inc. 3DMT provides additive manufacturing (3D printing) services to the aerospace, defense, medical and industrial markets. The deal complements Aerojet Rocketdyne’s capabilities to develop and produce metal-alloy AM parts for aerospace propulsion and power systems. The addition of 3DMT’s capacity and expertise in metal-alloy AM will also expand Aerojet Rocketdyne’s range of products and services.

In what is becoming an annual April tradition, we’ll take a look at some significant industry events.

Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc. acquired Baker Industries Inc. and related assets. Detroit, Mich.-based Baker will complement Lincoln Electric’s automation portfolio and its new metal additive-manufacturing (AM) service business that will launch in mid-2019. Leveraging Lincoln Electric’s core competencies in automation, software development and metallurgy, the metal AM business will manufacture large-scale printed metal parts, prototypes and tooling for industrial and aerospace customers. The Baker operation, along with a new Cleveland-based AM development center, will provide an AM platform to help customers improve their lead times, designs and quality in their operations.

Additive manufacturing’s promise to revolutionize industry is constrained by a widespread problem: tiny gas pockets in the final product, which can lead to cracks and other failures. Research published recently in Science, led by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Argonne National Laboratory, identified how and when these gas pockets form, as well as a methodology to predict their formation.

Bright AM was designed to manage and support additive manufacturing’s unique challenges – tracking the process of disparate parts 3D-printed together on a single plate as well as everything from incoming orders to work-in-progress to delivery confirmation.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is changing how we think about making parts from metal.

To continue a trend we started in 2017, Industrial Heating will highlight a topic on our website and list the most-popular articles under that topic according to page views.