Specialist Manufacturing SME 24 July 2012

© MHS Consultancy Services

A Quick Thumbnail SketchMark Swan, 24 July 2012


Also known as ‘Additive Manufacturing’

Key Steps:

1. Import a digital designFrom any Computer Aided Design (CAD) tool

2. Slice it into layersAs thin as 16 microns thick (currently)

3. ‘Print’ each layer in turnUsing metal powder, plastic tube or pellets, liquid



3D Printer Manufacturers Airwolf – USA Fabbster – Germany MakerBot Industries – USA Afinia 3D – USA Objet – Israel EOS – Germany Arcam – Sweden 3D Systems (the Cube – for $1300!!)

3D Print Service Providers Kraftwurx – USA 3T RPD – Newbury, UK Cybaman Technologies – UK

Users EADS – Europe Materialise – Belgium GE – US, UK United Technologies – US, China, Ireland


Defence

Aerospace

Automotive

Medical

Tooling & Automation

Architectural

Consumer goods

Any prototyping


Additive Technologies Base Materials

Selective laser sintering (SLS) Thermoplastics, metal powders, ceramic powders

Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS)

Almost any alloy metal

Fused deposition Modelling (FDM) Thermoplastics, eutectic metals

Stereolithography (SLA) Photopolymer

Laminated object manufacturing (OM)

Paper, foil, plastic film

Electron Beam melting (EBM) Titanium alloys

Powder bed, inkjet, & plaster-based

Plaster




A Telling Graph

Unit Cost

VolumeProduction 3D Printing, or

‘Additive’Manufacturing

Traditional‘Subtractive’Manufacturing

Line of Least Unit Cost

Future Trend


Next Steps

1. Confidential to my client




Back up Slides

Follow here………….


Selective Laser Sintering

1. Originally patented at the University of Austin in mid-1980s

2. Uses high power, pulsed laser3. Good for plastic, ceramic and glass

powders4. Full melt, or partial melt5. Does not require support structures


Direct Metal Laser Sintering

1. Originally developed by EOS in Germany2. Uses high power, fibre optic laser3. Good for metal powder, esp. steel alloys4. Full local melt5. Layers down to 20 microns 6. May require support structures7. May require surface polishing/finishing8. Aerospace, dental, medical


Fused Deposition Modelling

1. Originally patented by Scott Crump, late 1980s

2. Software by Stratasys (.stl files), also FDM is their trademark; also RepRap project & FFF

3. Extrudes wire or plastic filament4. Nozzle melts material into beads5. Full local melt6. Layers down to 40 microns 7. May require support structures8. Aerospace


Stereolithography

1. Originally patented by Charles Hull in 19862. Uses concentrated U/V light focused on a vat of

liquid photopolymer3. Commercialised by 3D Systems (Hull’s

company), in Ca4. The U/V light cures and solidifies the molten

polymer5. Layers down to 50 microns 6. Support structures always required7. Manufactured parts require cleaning and curing

as post operations8. Cost in range $100k to $500k / machine9. $80 to $210 / litre of material


Laminated Object Manufacturing

1. Originally developed by Helisys Inc, now Cubic Technologies

2. Uses a laser to heat layers of adhesive coated paper, plastic or metal laminates

3. Layers down to >50 microns 4. Support structures not required5. Manufactured parts may require waste

removal as a post operation6. Low cost paper models with wood

strength characteristics


Electron Beam Melting

1. Originally developed by Arcam in Swden2. Metal powder is melted by an electron beam in

a vacuum at 700 oC to 1,000 oC3. Makes very strong components4. Good for Titanium (has high affinity for

Oxygen), and other highly reactive materials5. Layers down to 50 microns 6. Support structures not required7. No additional operations required8. Higher cost than other techniques, e.g. DMLS9. Medical implants, aerospace (turbine blades)


SummarySLS DMLS FDM,

(aka. FFF)

SLA LOM EBM

Employs Laser Laser Heated extrusion nozzle

U/V light on liquid polymer

Layered adhesive coated

Electron beam, high temp, vacuum

Who? EOS Germany, 3D USA

EOS Germany 3D USA

Stratasys, Ca, Airwolf, Afinia, fabbster, Makerbot, 3D

3D Systems, Objet

Helisys, Ca Arcam, Sweden

Good For Plastic, ceramic, glass

Metal powder

Wire, plastic filament

Polymer Paper, plastic, laminates

Highly reactive metals, e.g. Ti

Melt? Partial Full Full n/a n/a Full

Layers? 20μ 40μ 50μ (Objet claim 16μ)

>50μ 50μ

Support Structures

No Maybe Maybe Yes No No

Costs Low Medium Low Medium Low High

Post Operations?

Polishing Cleaning and curing

Waste removal

None

Applications

Aerospace, dental, medical

Aerospace Automotive, dental, medical

Aerospace, medical

Specialist Manufacturing SME 24 July 2012

Documents

d usa airwolf

metal powder wire

metal powders

metal laminates3

plastic filmelectron

plastic tube

plastic filament4

direct metal laser sintering1