Modern Machine Shop and MoldMaking Technology present ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, a quarterly supplement reporting on the use of additive processes to manufacture functional parts. More at additivemanufacturinginsight.com.
Issue link: https://am.epubxp.com/i/542042
18 — AM Supplement F E A T U R E 3D mapping in real time ensures greater transparency during processing. For example, one bio company Faustson is working with is a tissue donor organization. Faustson is generating support equipment for this company's proof-of-concept project, creating hardware that will be needed to produce the end product, a device for tissue donation. "They came to us with a problem, a part they needed for support equipment that required a lot of welding and for which they cannot wait a long time," Hostetter explains. "We looked at the part and were able to show them ways to do things differently, which would allow us to 3D print the part, saving them 50 hours of milling time and all post-welding operations. They said, 'Give us 10!'" Understanding Two Fundamentals A thorough understanding of the building mate- rial and of its post-processing requirements is crucial to producing a satisfactory product, Hostetter says. Here is part of what that under- standing entails: Material knowledge. Before making the investment in metals additive manufacturing, she says, it is important that a manufacturer know how to work with metals in the frst place. Techno- logical understanding that has made a company successful in plastics will not necessarily naturally transfer when the company begins working with metals, because the science be- hind metals is completely different. Just consider the "movement" of each material. When you apply heat to plastic, it melts. When you ap- ply heat to metal, it stabilizes its structure. The technology used does not change the need to understand basic material properties. Hostetter recommends that manufacturers who work with metals have a good relationship with a heat treater who understands, for example, that a metal like 17-4 PH stainless steel must be heat treated to a certain specifcation. Post-processing demands. Secondary pro- cessing of printed parts is as important as, or possibly more important than, the printing itself. Hostetter believes that this is Faustson's strength in additive manufacturing. The company offers a wide variety of support equipment required for metals 3D printing, ranging from multi-axis EDMs to fve-axis mills to inspection machines. "In many cases, bringing the part into specifcation requires all of these," she says. Without such support equipment capable of post-processing parts, Hostetter believes many companies new to additive manufactur- ing are setting themselves up to fail. She relates the story of one company that opened a loca- tion nearby and bought two top-of-the-line 3D printers. With no support equipment in place, however, the venture failed, because the com- pany could not meet its customers' expectations for fnished parts. Failure like this comes down to a simple lack of education, Hostetter says. In order to be suc- cessful, users must have a clear understanding of how to use AM technology effectively. "Talk to your customers and understand their needs fully before you make a major capital investment. If there is a gap there, everyone loses," she says. Shifting a Mindset Although it's been in use for only a few months, Faustson's M2 laser melting machine has already had a tremendous impact on the mindset of the company, Hostetter says. "When we went from