Sintavia LLC, a provider of metal additive-manufacturing services for the aerospace and defense industries, achieved Nadcap (National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program) approval for heat treatment at both its Hollywood, Fla., and Davie, Fla., locations. According to Sintavia, it is the only company in the world with Nadcap approvals for laser additive manufacturing, electron-beam additive manufacturing and in-house heat treatment.

According to Protolabs, it will soon be 3D printing parts on the largest powder-bed metal additive-manufacturing system in the world. The Minnesota-based company will add a GE Additive Concept Laser X Line 2000R machine to its production services this summer. The direct metal laser melting (DMLM) machine achieves a build volume of 31.5 inches x 15.7 inches x 19.7 inches (800 mm x 400 mm x 500 mm). The ability to additively manufacture parts of this size means that entire assemblies can be designed and printed as a single piece.

A relatively recent phenomenon in the field of additive manufacturing (AM) has been the discovery of “keyholes” (i.e., flaws) that form during the metal AM process. AM’s promise to revolutionize industry is currently constrained by a widespread problem: tiny gas pockets in the final product, which can lead to cracks and other failures.

The aerospace industry is increasingly adopting metal additive manufacturing (AM) for both flight safety-critical aircraft parts and non-critical flight parts.

Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM), developed by Fabrisonic, combines a unique room-temperature metal-deposition process with the ease of traditional CNC milling.

Markforged opened a 25,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Billerica, Mass, that will enable the company to more than double its production capacity, support increased demand for its metal and carbon-fiber 3D printers and create new jobs. The new facility will support the fabrication of all Markforged materials that are used by companies in the aerospace, automotive and manufacturing fields. It currently hosts 35 members of staff. Markforged expects to add another 25 hires in the coming years.

Delta H supplied a dual-chamber aerospace heat-treating (DCAHT) system to Sintavia, a Hollywood, Fla-based provider of additive-manufacturing services. The furnace features dual chambers operable to 1200°F and 500°F with precision control and temperature uniformity and a roll-away stainless steel quench tank. The DCAHT system qualifies as Class 2 (+/-10°F) per AMS 2750E and includes all controls, data-acquisition technology and spare-parts package to be in full compliance with all aerospace pyrometry standards, including Nadcap.

Siemens and Materials Solutions opened a highly advanced metal AM innovation center in Orlando, Fla. The 17,000-square-foot facility offers a pairing of design with manufacturing, implementing robotics, rapid prototyping, scanning, digital tools and on-site metal AM. Materials Solutions – a Siemens Business – uses selective laser melting (SLM) technology for the manufacture of high-performance metal parts, with a focus on high-temperature superalloys. The Siemens innovation center will focus on rapid problem solving supporting the company’s energy businesses, while Materials Solutions will offer additive services to support the innovation center and external customers. 

Sintavia LLC, an independent metal additive manufacturer, acquired QC Laboratories Inc. (QC Labs), a nondestructive testing (NDT) services company based in Hollywood, Fla. The acquisition enhances Sintavia’s NDT capabilities for commercial aerospace applications, particularly with respect to surface-finish conformance testing. QC Labs specializes in radiographic (X-ray and gamma), fluorescent-penetrant, ultrasonic, magnetic-particle and eddy-current inspections. The company holds approvals for these processes from Honeywell Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, General Electric, Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, Cessna, Eaton, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Rolls-Royce.

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.