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LAI announced the addition of a 2nd machine to be delivered in Q3 timeframe of 2016.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/251235?trk=prof-exp-company-name
LAI International Additive Manufacturing team has selected Arcam EBM technology
Arcam, listed on NASDAQ Stockholm and leading supplier of Additive Manufacturing solutions, has agreed on a supply agreement for Arcam Q20plus systems to LAI International in the US. LAI has selected Arcam Q20plus technology for their Additive Manufacturing activities in the aerospace industry.
LAI International supplies advanced titanium and other specialty metals products and services to the commercial aerospace, defense, oil & gas and medical device markets. LAI, who purchased their first Arcam Q20 system in 2015, recently placed an order for a second system and are now quickly moving beyond aerospace proof of concept and into production. LAI will be one of the first customers for the recently released
Arcam Q20plus.
“We at LAI International are pleased to have selected the Arcam Q20plus system to support our growing aerospace applications for 3D printing and additive manufacturing. The machines build size, speed and material performance makes it a good fit for LAI commercial products. Arcam has proven to be a critical strategic partner to LAI and we look forward to a long term relationship”, says Patrick Gruetzmacher, President of LAI International.
"Our activities in the aerospace industry are growing quickly and we are very happy that LAI International, an important client and tier one supplier to the aerospace industry, are now growing the use of our EBM technology", says Magnus René, CEO of Arcam.
La Bull translated
Thanks ZZZ63
On Monday Arcam launched a product upgrade. In this blog, I try to give some thoughts on what it might mean.
We start by taking a step back. The FDA released last week guidelines for AM-made medical implants, see link.
http://www.raps.org/Regulatory-Focus/News/2016/05/09/24901/FDA-Issues-Long-Awaited-3D-Printing-Guidance-for-Medical-Devices/
I would like to highlight the following parts of the text;
"AM has the advantage of Facilitating the creation of anatomically-matched devices and surgical instrumentation by using a patient's own medical imaging. Another advantage is the ease in fabricating complex geometric structures, allo wing the creation of engineered porous structures, tortuous internal channels, and internal support Structures That would not ask moonrise possible using traditional (non-additive) manufacturing approaches.
However, FDA Says That additive manufacturing finns poses unique challenges When it comes to device characterization, validation and verification. "
The discussion of Arcam and AM centers often around productivity, ie the construction speed. Many see the next 10 kW-gun (compared with today's 3 kW-canon) as Arcam developed in the so-called Fast-EBM project as a major game changer.
CEO Magnus René, however, has repeatedly claimed that
1) productivity increases continuously with around 15-20% per year.
2) The stock market put too much focus on increased productivity. For many applications, productivity is sufficient to make AM competitive with traditional manufacturing today. The parameters that the AM industry needs to improve is rather verification, validation, process control. In short, the technology is up to standard but needs industrialization. It is fully in line with the challenges that the FDA highlighted in the second paragraph above clipped.
In this light becomes Monday product release from Arcam the more interesting. Some focused on the figure of "up to 25% higher productivity." I think the key is rather "automatic calibration and increased beam control"
http://www.arcamgroup.com/finansiella-rapporter/pressmeddelanden/cisionarticle/C8F862CA2CB3DA2A/?lang=sv
An interesting follow-up question is whether customers felt a forthcoming upgraded version and therefore held back orders in Q1, which would explain the weak order intake. According to conversations I have had the company is not necessarily the view. However, I believe that the potential for volume orders has been improved with the new machines, which is more interesting in itself.
Q10 Q20... no longer available!
Q10 Q20 systems no longer available?
The last update on the Arcam site has erased all data of the normal Q10 Q20 systems.
All you can find is Q-plus systems
I asume that all new deliveries will be Q-plus, and that a service pack is available to update all delivered systems to Plus- systems.
I asume the last 10 systems for GE that still have to be delivered will be Plus-systems.
Probaly with little – or no extra charge.
The already installed systems …..
I am wondering, what is the price for an update?
With a little help of materialise.
http://www.materialise.com/press/materialise-and-arcam-partner-to-enable-seamless-integration-between-software-and-metal-3d
Arcam Build processor
http://software.materialise.com/arcam-build-processor
See also Streamics
http://software.materialise.com/3d-printing-software
25% higher speed, better control, better quality.....it's a start.
I was hoping for a more advanced production line.
Next year?
The smallest 3D printed Pelton Turbine from Oak Ridge N L.
https://www.ornl.gov/news/energy-high-efficiency-storage
See video at 3:09
Turbine blade looks like an EBM produced part
Who knows, how the biggest Pelton Turbine will be produced?
The metallurgy and processing science of metal
additive manufacturing
All you want to know about SLM versus EBM
Source; Oak Ridge National Laboratory
http://web.ornl.gov/sci/manufacturing/docs/pubs/The%20metallurgy%20and%20processing%20science%20of%20metal%20additive%20manufacturing.pdf
Industrialization of AM
Is this what René meant?
http://www.concept-laser.de/fileadmin/video/AMFactory_2015_copyright.mp4
AM Factory of Tomorrow, by Concept Laser
Initial position:
The previous solutions for machine and plant technology in the market all relied on ideas such as “more laser sources,” “more laser power,” “faster build rates” or “expansion of the build envelope sizes.” The machine technology represented a “standalone” solution without any consistent integration into the manufacturing environment. Build job preparation and build job process proceeded sequentially. Concept Laser is now attempting, with a new machine architecture, to expand the usually quantitative sections with new, qualitative aspects. “In essence,” says Dr. Florian Bechmann, Head of R&D at Concept Laser, “it is about splitting up build job preparation/build job follow-up processing and Additive Manufacturing in any number of combinable modules. With comparatively large build envelopes, build jobs can be carried out with a time delay. The intention is that this should drastically reduce the “downtimes” of previous stand-alone machines. There is plenty of potential here for improving the level of added value in the production chain. In contrast to purely quantitative approaches of previous machine concepts, we see here a fundamentally new approach for advancing industrial series production one step further.”
The new plant architecture is characterized essentially by decoupling of “pre-production,” “production” and “post-processing.” This includes among other things flexible machine loading and physical separation of the setting-up and disarming processes.
http://www.concept-laser.de/en/am-factory-of-tomorrow.html
So, no more Lazy Susan, it is time to kick Susan's ass.
X line 2000R is well supplied wit a lazy Susan (fauler Heidi)
http://www.concept-laser.de/en/industry/aerospace/machines.html
3D Systems ProX® DMP 320 has halve a lazy Susan
Designed for productivity with quick-swap build modules and fast powder recycling.
http://www.3dsystems.com/3d-printers/production/prox-dmp-320
Exatech, production done by EBM
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160425005831/en/Exactech-Receives-FDA-510-Clearance-Vantage%E2%84%A2-Total
http://www.exac.com/
Slideshow Arcam where Exatech is mentioned
http://www.innovmat.eu/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/INNOVMAT-2011-Smolenice-Arcam.pdf
SLM Solutions Group / Volkswagen / Audi
http://motorzeitung.de/news.php?newsid=352562
http://stage.slm-solutions.com/index.php?news-recent_de
SLM Solutions group is doing business with Audi, Volkswagen, GE. etc.
list of aviation users:
Airbus not yet:http://www.tctmagazine.com/3D-printing-news/airbus-group-expands-munich-site-aerospace-3d-printing/
EOS
http://www.tctmagazine.com/3D-printing-news/additive-industries-metalfab1-system-completes-first-phase-beta-sales/
Additive industries
MTU Aero (for Airbus) is using EOS
http://www.tctmagazine.com/3D-printing-news/mtu-aero-engines-uses-3d-printing-for-series-comp/
Not all that bad.
Sales of systems were not what we expected / hoped.
But AP&C doubled its order intake compared to the same period 2015.
What does this mean?
Are we selling more powder for SLM systems?
Or is it all for EBM systems?
Suppose most of it is sold for EBM systems, then a lot of users are making a shift from prototyping / testing to serial production.
Interim report
Interim report January – March 2016
Continued growth
Net sales increased by 43% to 159.9 (111.4) MSEK
Operating income increased to 8.9 (3.8) MSEK
Net income increased to 8.3 (4.3) MSEK
Earnings per share increased to 0.40 (0.23) SEK
14 (9) EBM systems were delivered during the period
Order intake amounted to 6 (10) EBM systems
Continued growth
Arcam continues to grow and during the first quarter the increase in sales was 43%. Sales for the first quarter amounted to 159.9 (111.4) MSEK and trailing twelve months sales amounts to 624.6 (385.4) MSEK. Operating profit for the period amounts to 8.9 MSEK and trailing twelve months the operating profit is 55.3 MSEK.
The order intake during the period was 6 (10) EBM systems and the metal powder manufacturer AP&C doubled its order intake compared to the same period 2015.
We continue to pursue and develop our long-term strategy to industrialize the EBM technology and simultaneously developing the metal powder manufacturing and contract manufacturing business. We are making significant investments to continue to meet our customers’ demands and growing expectations of the EBM systems' productivity and reliability.
Business status
During the quarter we delivered 14 EBM systems and the majority went to customers in the implant or the aerospace industry. The demand for EBM systems is driven by the aerospace industry that is now moving into production, but also by the increasing interest for Additive Manufacturing from the orthopedic industry. In the period we received 6 new orders and the order book by the end of the quarter amounts to 19 systems.
We continue to expand our production capacity at AP&C to serve the fast growing market for metal powder for additive manufacturing. In the first quarter we took a decision to invest in three new powder reactors. With this expansion AP&C will reach a capacity of approximately 500 tons of metal powder per year.
The contract manufacturer DiSanto is growing again after a weak period at the later part of 2015. During the quarter we have added several new customers to the EBM part of the contract manufacturing.
A strengthened organization
During the quarter we strengthened our organization throughout the group.
In the beginning of January Alain Dupont assumed the position as president of the powder manufacturer AP&C. He succeeds Jacques Mallette who has been President of AP&C since 2011. Jacques continues to be involved as Chairman for AP&C.
In February Tom Barrett was appointed new president for our contract manufacturer DiSanto in the USA. Tom, who recently was Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Symmetry Medical, has a broad experience from leading positions within the implant industry.
With 19 machines in order, a stable aftermarket and a positive business situation we are positioned for a continued growth in 2016.
good work Charlie!
Industrialisation is the keyword, and it's coming soon
I still believe a presentation of a new system will reach us soon.
A system with multiple chambers, Call it a production-street with multiple connected chambers.
First chamber on the left: outside a heatproof and vacuumproof door, in the first chamber the building box is prepared, after closing it is preheated and it is put under vacuum.
Second chamber; the building chamber, the connecting door with the prepared chamber is opened, and a transport system brings the building box within the building chamber. Vacuum is ok for production, and so is the temperature.
EBM starts within minutes.
The third chamber (on the right) is opened. after several hours of cooling in the third chamber the products are ready to cool down to the outside temp.
The building box with the products are removed.
The outside vacuum door closes again, and the cooling chamber is heated again, and the pumps will bring the chamber under vacuum.
In the meanwhile the new parts are builded in the production chamber, and when they are finished, the door opens between the building chamber and the cooling chamber, and the building box is transported to the cooling chamber.
The old systems:
What is the production time of an AM System?
How many cycles can we produce within 100 hours?
For SLM: real production time, and 1 hour for preparing / starting new production (heat treatment is in an other system and does not involve production of the AM System.
For EBM: real production time, and 7 hours of cooling (heat treatment) within the system. New production is delayed for 7 hours!
MTU Aero Engines, at least one system?
http://www.mtu.de/technologies/manufacturing-processes/additive-manufacturing/
slideshow: 0 slides
http://www.slideshare.net/search/slideshow?searchfrom=header&q=metal+additive
maybe it will be reloaded
you can see the text here
http://www.slideshare.net/RMEvents/1100-magnus-rene-video
metal additive manufacturing
it's in planes
it's in bodies
it's in production!
http://www.slideshare.net/RMEvents/1100-magnus-rene-video
Thanks Neil Mantle
http://www.rolls-royce.com/media/insights/neil-mantle.aspx
gonna be a beautiful day
RE: preheat / production / cooling
Take a look at MetalFAB1.
The way I think:
Actual building takes 7 hours for 8? blades.
Cooling inside the system takes 8 hours.
When you create 3 chambers inside the EBM system (preheat / production / cooling), and it takes one hour, instead of eight hours tot start building new products.
The production time will be reduced enormously:
15h : 8h
At least 90% faster!!!
That's what I call industrialisation of your systems
http://additiveindustries.com/Industrial-am-systems/Metalfab1
RE: multibeam, the solution, no
After building the system is 8 hours out of production, because the builded parts have to cool down inside the system.
8 hours of non production.
that's the problem of EBM
So, to improve the production time of the EBM process, we need an internal cooling chamber:
The package that is build is internally moved (by a robot)to the cooling chamber.
And the building chamber is filled with a new building box (robot)
So the building process can start again within minutes.
No heat is lost
No vacuum is lost because of the internal vacuum doors.
Avio Aero needs ATP Engineering Compliance Leaders at three locations
https://xjobs.brassring.com/TGWebHost/jobdetails.aspx?partnerid=54&siteid=5346&OReq=2511948&Codes=Twitter
Safran, 3D printing (seen?)
http://www.safran-group.com/media
Ampliforge? looks like forging.
see: http://forgingmagazine.com/site-files/forgingmagazine.com/files/uploads/2015/09/Alcoa_AdvancingAdditiveManufacturing_2015.jpg
http://forgingmagazine.com/forming/alcoa-details-research-process-strategy-maximize-3dp-0
see video, after 2:00 minutes
For sure, one or two systems will go to Pittsburg because for certain parts they are economically the best choice.
GE: All The 3D Print That’s Fit to Pitt: New Additive Technology Center Opens Near Steel Town
http://www.gereports.com/all-the-print-thats-fit-to-pitt-new-additive-technology-center-opens-near-steel-town/
Alcoa Lands 3D Printing Contract with Airbus
http://aluminiuminsider.com/alcoa-lands-3d-printing-contract-with-airbus/
Alcoa; Ti Aluminide and Additive Manufacturing capabilities
https://www.alcoa.com/global/en/investment/pdfs/RTI_presentation.pdf
SLM Solutions Group: outstanding annual results 2015
https://translate.google.nl/translate?sl=de&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=nl&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.stage.slm-solutions.com%2Findex.php%3Fcn_20160329_de&edit-text=
(google translate)
original:
http://www.stage.slm-solutions.com/index.php?cn_20160329_de
Language a problem?
In Europe, in most countries, people are educated in at least two other languages than their own.
In highschool every student is trained in English and another 2knd language for 4 years (French / German, Spanish)
In most vocational education students are trained for an extra 2 to 4 years in English and sometimes German as well.
So, I guess communicate in English is no issue.
But if you want to work and live in Sweden for a longer time, the Swedish government requires a well understanding of the Swedish language, you have to do a basic examination before final registration.
GE LM2500+G4 Gas Turbine Hybrid Electric Propulsion System to Power Italian Navy’s New PPA Offshore Patrol Ships
Avio Aero is producing these marine systems as well
Maybe LPT1 blades could be produced by EBM as well?
http://www.geaviation.com/press/marine/marine_20160303.html
http://www.geaviation.com/marine/engines/military/lm2500plusg4/
EBM Ti6Al4V better than cast Ti6Al4V
Microstructure:
Ti6Al4V parts manufactured in the EBM process have a microstructure better than cast Ti6Al4V
containing a lamellar a-phase with larger ß-grains, and with a higher density and significantly finer
grain, thanks to the rapid cooling of the melt pool.
PDF Arcam:
https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwiejdWfhsbLAhVEfRoKHYsJAs4QFggfMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arcam.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FArcam-Ti6Al4V-Titanium-Alloy.pdf&usg=AFQjCNEC62Wly5zYyC0Aiuwpl9AEmsnh_g&sig2=CBkcPdDXP1N4VJ5EFAiZgg&bvm=bv.116954456,d.d2s
https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwiejdWfhsbLAhVEfRoKHYsJAs4QFggvMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.arcam.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FArcam-Ti6Al4V-ELI-Titanium-Alloy.pdf&usg=AFQjCNG3b460ydJZIxvCw3zOvzTpUXNcUg&sig2=BMaucHWsGOdgPAb8V8GnTA&bvm=bv.116954456,d.d2s
newsletter ...Tom
https://aerospace.honeywell.com/en/newsletter