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Thursday, July 27, 2017 10:13:53 AM
Arcam's most important patents?
Arcam's intellectual property patents for EBM technology are pretty solid. What we don't see published too much is information on their XQam technology. Arcam seems to have a pretty good patent lock on the use of x-rays to verify beam spot position, size, and melt pool integrity.
The use of X-Rays to verify quality of additively manufactured components as they are being built is an immense tool for the AM users and their customers.
The patent protection for Arcam's X-Ray use in AM may be strong enough to be another income stream if licensed to other AM technologies (i.e. laser for metal).
The QPlus series was released in May of 2016. Arcam already had a patent granted for the use of X-Rays in AM for quality and process improvement. There were more that followed.
Call it a defining achievement that set the GE offer in motion at best or serendipitous if less inclined to see the coincidence in timing but one of Arcam's strongest patents granted for the use of X-Rays preceded GE's tender offer by 35 days. 9,406,483 - Method and device for characterizing an electron beam using an X-ray detector with a patterned aperture resolver and patterned aperture modulator - Date of Patent August 2, 2016.
News of the Plus series and the XQuam at engineering.com - Arcam Upgrades Q-Series 3D Printers with New Beam Control - Michael Molitch-Hou posted on May 12, 2016
The new systems are all about improving the electron beam at the heart of Arcam’s EBM technology. New electronics are built into the Q10plus and Q20plus to increase the accuracy and efficiency of beam control, further enhanced by a new software platform, EBM Control 5.0.
In addition to improving the accuracy and efficiency of beam control, the software also incorporates new melt strategies and increases build speed and precision. Finally, both of the new machines feature xQam, a system that uses X-ray detection for automatic calibration and beam control. Altogether, Arcam claims that the Qplus systems are 25 percent more productive than the previous models with what they suggest is “significantly improved surface finish and precision.”
Magnus René, CEO of Arcam, said of the new machines, “With the Arcam Q series-plus we sharpen our offering to our main markets, the implant industry and the aerospace industry. With the introduction of the innovative Arcam xQam technology, Arcam reinforces its commitment being at the technological forefront within industrial additive manufacturing.”
For reference, Arcam's patents granted describing the use of X-rays to improve the additive manufacturing process:
PAT. NO. Title
1 9,664,505 - Energy beam position verification
2 9,543,116 - Method for verifying characteristics of an electron beam
3 9,406,483 - Method and device for characterizing an electron beam using an X-ray detector with a patterned aperture resolver and patterned aperture modulator
4 9,341,467 - Energy beam position verification
5 8,992,816 - Method and apparatus for producing three-dimensional objects
Also for reference:
Verifying Structural Integrity of Metal 3D-Printed Parts - 3/10/2017
X-ray computed tomography verifies 3D metal printing -February 6, 2017
CT inspection advances production of bespoke metal additively manufactured medical implants - April 25, 2017
The inspection and quality control of metal AM parts with X-ray Computed Tomography (micro CT) - Metal AM Magazine - Summer 2017 - pages 105 to 111
An 2010 article on x-ray real time welding verification - Video: New X-ray Camera Sees Through Melting Metal - 12.17.10
And finally, current from GE - GE Industrial X-ray and CT Conference 2017 - May 16, 2017 - May 18, 2017
For more than 12 years, GE has hosted the industry's premier Industrial X-ray and CT User Conference in Germany and the US. The 2017 edition of this popular technical conference will be held May 16-18 in Albany, New York. GE X-ray system and field x-ray users will present detailed technical papers on system capabilities, special applications and practical case studies.
Our goal is to provide industrial users with access the latest developments in Industrial X-Ray and Computed Tomography from the foremost experts in the industrial and academic sectors. Special focus areas will include industrial process control and metrology, additive manufacturing inspection, composite inspection, CR/DR field radiography Oil & Gas sector, DICONDE conform data management.
Day 3 of the conference will feature a technical tour of GE Healthcare's Greenbush, NY X-ray detector manufacturing facility, where can look under the hood and see how GE's advanced X-ray technologies are designed and built.
GE’s 2017 Industrial X-ray and CT Forum PDF - MAY 16-18, 2017
Arcam's intellectual property patents for EBM technology are pretty solid. What we don't see published too much is information on their XQam technology. Arcam seems to have a pretty good patent lock on the use of x-rays to verify beam spot position, size, and melt pool integrity.
The use of X-Rays to verify quality of additively manufactured components as they are being built is an immense tool for the AM users and their customers.
The patent protection for Arcam's X-Ray use in AM may be strong enough to be another income stream if licensed to other AM technologies (i.e. laser for metal).
The QPlus series was released in May of 2016. Arcam already had a patent granted for the use of X-Rays in AM for quality and process improvement. There were more that followed.
Call it a defining achievement that set the GE offer in motion at best or serendipitous if less inclined to see the coincidence in timing but one of Arcam's strongest patents granted for the use of X-Rays preceded GE's tender offer by 35 days. 9,406,483 - Method and device for characterizing an electron beam using an X-ray detector with a patterned aperture resolver and patterned aperture modulator - Date of Patent August 2, 2016.
News of the Plus series and the XQuam at engineering.com - Arcam Upgrades Q-Series 3D Printers with New Beam Control - Michael Molitch-Hou posted on May 12, 2016
The new systems are all about improving the electron beam at the heart of Arcam’s EBM technology. New electronics are built into the Q10plus and Q20plus to increase the accuracy and efficiency of beam control, further enhanced by a new software platform, EBM Control 5.0.
In addition to improving the accuracy and efficiency of beam control, the software also incorporates new melt strategies and increases build speed and precision. Finally, both of the new machines feature xQam, a system that uses X-ray detection for automatic calibration and beam control. Altogether, Arcam claims that the Qplus systems are 25 percent more productive than the previous models with what they suggest is “significantly improved surface finish and precision.”
Magnus René, CEO of Arcam, said of the new machines, “With the Arcam Q series-plus we sharpen our offering to our main markets, the implant industry and the aerospace industry. With the introduction of the innovative Arcam xQam technology, Arcam reinforces its commitment being at the technological forefront within industrial additive manufacturing.”
For reference, Arcam's patents granted describing the use of X-rays to improve the additive manufacturing process:
PAT. NO. Title
1 9,664,505 - Energy beam position verification
2 9,543,116 - Method for verifying characteristics of an electron beam
3 9,406,483 - Method and device for characterizing an electron beam using an X-ray detector with a patterned aperture resolver and patterned aperture modulator
4 9,341,467 - Energy beam position verification
5 8,992,816 - Method and apparatus for producing three-dimensional objects
Also for reference:
Verifying Structural Integrity of Metal 3D-Printed Parts - 3/10/2017
X-ray computed tomography verifies 3D metal printing -February 6, 2017
CT inspection advances production of bespoke metal additively manufactured medical implants - April 25, 2017
The inspection and quality control of metal AM parts with X-ray Computed Tomography (micro CT) - Metal AM Magazine - Summer 2017 - pages 105 to 111
An 2010 article on x-ray real time welding verification - Video: New X-ray Camera Sees Through Melting Metal - 12.17.10
And finally, current from GE - GE Industrial X-ray and CT Conference 2017 - May 16, 2017 - May 18, 2017
For more than 12 years, GE has hosted the industry's premier Industrial X-ray and CT User Conference in Germany and the US. The 2017 edition of this popular technical conference will be held May 16-18 in Albany, New York. GE X-ray system and field x-ray users will present detailed technical papers on system capabilities, special applications and practical case studies.
Our goal is to provide industrial users with access the latest developments in Industrial X-Ray and Computed Tomography from the foremost experts in the industrial and academic sectors. Special focus areas will include industrial process control and metrology, additive manufacturing inspection, composite inspection, CR/DR field radiography Oil & Gas sector, DICONDE conform data management.
Day 3 of the conference will feature a technical tour of GE Healthcare's Greenbush, NY X-ray detector manufacturing facility, where can look under the hood and see how GE's advanced X-ray technologies are designed and built.
GE’s 2017 Industrial X-ray and CT Forum PDF - MAY 16-18, 2017
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