Sigma Labs Inc (SASI)

[VisionaryInc]

Why EBM is not going to kill B6 sigma.

D2P: How does the Arcam A2 complement the company’s existing DMLS additive manufacturing machines?

Greg Morris: The Arcam machine’s EBM (electron beam melting) technology is interesting for a few reasons, and it has some differences from the laser-based systems, like DMLS (direct metal laser sintering). The Arcam technology uses an electron beam power source of about 3,500 watts; whereas, the laser-based technologies are typically 200 to 400 watts. The Arcam machines use a magnetic field to direct the beam. One of the areas where the Arcam machine has potential is that it has a vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber allows us to create some alloys that will be a little easier to map and get decent properties with versus in an atmospheric chamber.

The DMLS machines use nitrogen or argon, and it complements EBM technology. We look at DMLS as a very enabling technology with tremendous capabilities, but it also has limitations when it comes to certain alloys and the speed with which it can build certain types of parts. So this is where the Arcam tends to be a very nice complement to the DMLS technology. If you have a bulkier, less detailed part that doesn’t require the surface finish that a DMLS part can give you, Arcam’s strength is being able to build the part faster than the DMLS. The part size, geometry, and the detail resolution that DMLS covers is really a different market in many ways than what the Arcam covers. Typically, where there is less detail resolution required, the Arcam technology may be a better fit.