12— AM Supplement
F E A T U R E
Mr. Kundig adds that part complexity also is
not a cost driver with DMLS. "Simple or complex
structure, free-form shape or conformal cooling,
the industrial 3D printer just manufactures the
part," he says.
Rebuild and Repair
Both Innomia and Ecoparts have seen growing
demand for the use of DMLS to repair mold inserts,
as it simplifes and speeds the repair process. In-
stead of replacing inserts, both companies remove
only the damaged material for their customers. In
most cases, this alternative to completely remanu-
facturing an insert saves weeks in production time.
According to Mr. Rozkosny, Innomia initially
ventured into metal additive manufacturing with
rapid prototyping of automotive metal components
but then moved to injection mold applications,
including rapid tooling and conformal cooling.
Since then, customers have come to trust the qual-
ity of DMLS parts in production tooling, he says, so
demand for fast tool repairs grew very quickly.
When it comes to tool repair, Innomia uses not
only DMLS, but also 3D scanning and reverse
engineering. This allows the company to repair
damaged tools, even when 2D or 3D documenta-
tion is unavailable. For one particular repair on a
broken injection mold insert, there were no existing
3D data or drawings, and limited parts in stock.
"The insert was removed from the tool and
delivered to us," Mr. Rozkosny explains. "First we
scanned the insert geometry and redesigned the
complete 3D model. Then we cut or milled off the
damaged area because we needed a fat surface
to start the rebuilding process. The insert was then
placed into the EOSINT M 270 system and posi-
tioned, and the missing material was laser-sintered
on the cut surface. Next, the surface was fnished
and the insert was mounted back into the mold."
The job, from insert removal to production
restart, was completed in three shifts, and the
repaired insert has been in use for two and a half
years now, demonstrating the repair's quality and
durability, he says.
industrial-strength sand cores, mold
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