3D Systems of Rock Hill, S.C., has been awarded a $15 million contract by the Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory (ARL) to create the world’s largest, fastest and most precise metal 3D printer. The printer’s build envelope is planned to be 1,000 mm x 1,000 mm x 600 mm, which is a significant increase over current large-scale metal 3D printers with a build envelope of 500 mm x 500 mm x 500 mm. The printer will revolutionize key supply chains associated with long-range munitions, next-generation combat vehicles, helicopters, and air and missile defense capabilities.

Gefertec LLC will open its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Danville, Va. The $1.9 million project is expected to create eight new jobs. Germany’s Gefertec says it is the only company worldwide that provides 3DMP technology, which uses wire-arc-welding-based metal additive manufacturing to create near-net-shape components. The company also claims that the technology can simplify the process of conventional manufacturing to three steps: warehousing, manufacturing and then finishing with the integration of an optional milling system. The Danville facility will produce Gefertec’s 3DMP machines.

GE Additive announced the opening of its Arcam EBM (electron beam melting) Center of Excellence in Gothenburg, Sweden. The 15,000-square-meter facility, which has the capacity for up to 500 employees, triples the floor space of Arcam EBM’s previous site. Having production, R&D, training facilities and support functions all housed under one roof will allow GE Additive to utilize lean manufacturing to increase production capacity.

Solar Atmospheres, in conjunction with the William and Myrtle Jones Foundation, donated and installed a laboratory furnace for Lehigh University’s Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. The furnace was designed and built by Solar Manufacturing. With SolarVac Polaris control system, a hot zone capable of holding up to 250 pounds and a maximum temperature of 2800°F, the furnace was installed in Lehigh University’s Whitaker Lab, along with the necessary Solar-built transformer and water cooling system.

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.

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.

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.

Ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM) combines a unique room-temperature metal deposition process with the ease of traditional CNC milling. A patented ultrasonic print head is integrated into three-axis mills to create a hybrid additive-subtractive process.