Metal additive manufacturing is a transformative technology driving the industry 4.0 revolution in the 21st century. Metal AM Technology has transformed various industries but profoundly impacted the aerospace, medical, defense, automobile & engineering sector. The transformation is the result of the ability of metal additive manufacturing to create complex geometries, easier to work with difficult to process materials, and shorter time to market with functional end use parts.
Metal additive manufacturing is classified into several categories, but laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), also referred to as direct metal printing (DMP) or direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) is the most proven & widely adapted technology. LPBF is known for its ability to manufacture high-performance parts by providing design flexibility and increased accuracy.
This article explores the applications of metal additive manufacturing in aerospace, medical, and general engineering and highlights its significant impact on innovation, efficiency, and production.
Medical Industry
The medical industry has witnessed a significant transformation with the integration of metal additive manufacturing. It has opened up new possibilities for personalized patient care, surgical procedures, and biomedical research. One of the early applications of metal additive manufacturing in the medical sector was to develop customized implants and prosthetics based on individual anatomy. With the recent developments in materials science and high-precision machines, highly accurate Orthopedic implants can be manufactured in large volumes.
Another application of metal additive manufacturing in the medical industry is the development of custom surgical instruments and guides. In the case of complex surgery, using custom surgical instruments and guides designed especially for doctors and patients reduces the chances of human error. They also help to improve the quality of medical procedures, resulting in improved quality of life for the patient.
Direct metal printing solution has demonstrated its ability in multiple applications for the healthcare Industry. The 3D systems DMP Flex 350 and DMP Flex 350 Dual are popular solutions adapted by all major engineering giants in the medical sector. It is a high-precision and performance machine capable of 24/7 productivity. It comes with a build volume of 275 x 275 x 420 mm (10.82 x 10.82 x 16.54 in) with Vacuum and removable print module concept offers more flexible solution for multi material handling to avoid cross contamination and purest of inert atmosphere with <25 PPM oxygen content to avoid material degradation especially for material like titanium, reduced material waste, greater speeds for production, shorter set-up times, and very dense metal parts with excellent mechanical properties.
Aerospace Industry
The aerospace industry was one of the earliest adopters of metal additive manufacturing technology. The advantages of additive manufacturing over traditional manufacturing methods and its ability to create complex shapes were the key drivers for adopting metal additive manufacturing in aerospace.
Metal additive manufacturing enables the production of complex, lightweight, strong, and durable structures. This reduces the overall weight of aerospace components, resulting in improved fuel efficiency and enhanced performance. Furthermore, the ability to consolidate multiple parts into a single 3D-printed component reduces assembly complexity and increases reliability.
Rapid Prototyping and Tooling using metal additive manufacturing have also helped the industry significantly. Using metal additive manufacturing for functional prototypes has resulted in shorter product development times and faster innovation. In most cases, the use of metal additive manufacturing has eliminated the tooling requirement, resulting in huge cost reduction also. In some cases, metal additive manufacturing has helped to create quick tooling solutions for the aerospace sector.
General Engineering
In general, engineering metal additive manufacturing provides unprecedented design freedom, reduces costs, and accelerates product development. One of the most common applications is the development of functional prototypes for design development and testing. The technology also finds its application in low volume or batch production (pilot runs), which is required to make adjustments for final production.
The DMP Factory 500 Solution is a modular system with its trademark Vacuum concept that helps in highly pure inert atmosphere, the uniquely designed Removable print module (RPM) and enables easy & quick switchover of production build jobs and Multi laser solution developed for manufacturing large seamless parts. It is also equipped with the De-powdering Module (DPM) and the Powder Recycling Module (PRM) designed to efficiently de-powder parts on build platforms and automatically recycle unused powder materials to prepare the RPM for the next build. The DMP Factory 500 Solution ensures high productivity through a larger build volume (500 x 500 x 500 mm) and high throughput enabled by three 500-Watt lasers. The DMP 500 ecosystem can be used to set up a digital factory which can be run autonomously for 24/7-part production. This solution can be effectively used in aerospace and general engineering industries requiring high volume production of bigger parts.
Metal additive manufacturing for spare parts and repairs is an emerging area. It enables the on-demand production of spare parts, eliminating the need for extensive inventory and reducing downtime. Recently, several organizations have conducted research experiments to use metal additive manufacturing to repair expensive components. Interestingly, repairing parts using metal additive manufacturing reduces the repair cost and ensures quality.
One critical step in metal additive manufacturing is selecting a suitable machine for industrial requirements. Several parameters, such as build volume, laser, speed of production, etc., are required to study to make the right purchase decisions. The engineering team at SRT ensures that the customer’s requirements are understood and that the correct solution is provided. To experience direct metal technologies, you can visit the Shree Rapid Technology Experience center in Mumbai. The team of trained engineers at the center provides all the guidelines and suggestions required for the successful customers’ journey towards metal additive manufacturing.
Shree Rapid Technologies is an authorized partner of 3D Systems providing solutions to wide range of industries.
About Shree Rapid Technologies (SRT)
Shree Rapid Technologies (SRT) is a pioneer in 3D Printing Technology and incorporated in 2007. They are specialized in cutting-edge technology into 3D Printing, 3D Scanning and Measurement that enables us to design, validate and create precise and intricate 3D prototypes and end use parts. They cater to variety of applications in multiple industries line Aerospace, Automotives, Bio Printing, Dental, Jewellery, Machine Tooling, Medical Devices, Service Bureaus, etc.
Their state-of-the-art Customer Innovation Center (CIC) is laced with advanced 3D Printers, 3D Scanners, Metrology and Inspection.
To visit the experience center or any other query kindly mail at : marketing@shreerapid.com
Contact Number: (+91) 7208843624 / 022-67415403
To Know more visit: https://www.shreerapid.com/
