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Will additive manufacturing put milling machines out of work?

Source:Ringier Release Date:2011-11-08 703
MetalworkingSemiconductor/Electronic ChipSemiconductor / Electronic Chip
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Walter Frick, freelance specialised journalist interviewed Andrzej Grzesiak, who heads the Fraunhofer Additive Manufacturing Alliance, for EMO Hannover 2011.

What advantages does additive manufacturing have?

Grzesiak: The salient advantage of layer-forming processes is that any conceivable shape that can be created in a 3D CAD program can actually be produced. There are no restrictions in terms of manufacturing transparent or hollow structures. Nor are there any problems with complex geometries and freeform designs.

Where are the practical applications in terms of series production?

Grzesiak: We're only at the very beginning of developments. New, improved materials and more stable processes are being developed. Nonetheless, we're already seeing the first best-case applications with implants, dental technology and light automation components. Individualised mass production is up and running almost everywhere in these fields. We're also seeing new applications in aircraft manufacture, where metal-based lightweight construction using titanium is set to play a particularly large role.

Are there any limits to creative design freedom?

Grzesiak: Direct, fast manufacturing by means of additive processes, thanks to its well-nigh limitless freedom in terms of shape and design, enables customised, optimum products to be created. By virtue of the geometric freedom provided, and the high elasticity of the material involved, moreover, it is possible to manufacture snap-fit connections, complicated form-locking elements, spring-force connections and geometries like leaf springs or helical springs. This means fewer parts have to be mounted or connected with tools. This is something design engineers first have to learn.

Where do you see the main application categories for additive manufacturing ?

Grzesiak: All these fields are of interest. We draw distinctions here not by sectors, but by applications. In all of them, individualised mass production for specialised parts and components can be achieved at affordable prices.

Are there any differences in the user target groups?

Grzesiak: Yes, simply because quite different requirements are posed for the engineering and the materials involved. Quite different technologies will be used here, too. It's important not to introduce additive manufacturing techniques everywhere, but first to comprehend what the customers actually need. This will enable additional markets like biotechnology to be successfully penetrated as well.

Which methods for additive manufacturing have the best prospects?

Grzesiak: You shouldn't compare the various technologies directly. Depending on the particular application being planned, you have to choose the appropriate technology. This is also important for newcomers: first the application, then the technology. Nowadays, the laser systems are being used especially in the field of end-part production. In future, printing technology systems will be used more and more, particularly in micro-systems engineering and biotechnology. There's going to be a lot happening here in the next three to five years.

What role does additive manufacturing play?

Grzesiak: None as yet. Although the integration of new manufacturing methods into industrial process chains offers far-reaching options for optimising production operations, due to the lack of organisation and the stand-alone machines the implementation status is as yet not very far advanced. By reason of minimal batch sizes and the elimination of assembly processes thanks to complete manufacture, there is concomitant potential for streamlining, though this, of course, has to be supported by the correct organisation. Additive manufacturing enables certain problems to be solved in conventional production structures, though the integration of these systems in the triangular matrix of time/costs/quality is being rendered rather difficult by the current lack of comprehensive production modNew Balance Laufschuhe und Bekleidung online kaufen

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