UK-based engineering firmRenishaw(RSW) has launched two new versions of its RenAM 500 3D printer with upgraded powder handling capabilities at theformnexttrade show.
Unveiled at Renishaw’s booth, the enhanced RenAM 500S and 500Q Flex machines feature simplified powder handling systems, which enable users to more easily change materials without hindering part quality. The systems also make scaling effortless for users, as their parameters don’t need re-qualification prior to entering mass-production, making them ideal for R&D or service bureau manufacturers.
“一旦完整的制作阶段完成，共同的构建环境允许将任何参数直接转移到带有粉末再循环的Renam 500Q上，而无需重新测试气流，腔室和光学，” AM项目经理Lily Dixon解释说。在雷尼肖。“制造商还可以在批量生产之前小规模建造全尺寸零件。”
“制造商可以在内部的Renam 500S Flex和Renam 500Q Flex中迅速更换粉末，从而为满足客户需求所需的灵活性提供了灵活性。”
Renishaw’s metal AM expertise
Based in the UK, Renishaw has a vested interest in various engineering-related technologies including spectroscopy, precision measurement and metal machining. The firm has also built up a strong metal 3D printing offering, comprising its RenAM 500 machines, softwares, ancillaries and an array of end-use-qualified materials, such as titanium, aluminum, cobalt chromium, steel and nickel alloys.
In an attempt to find new applications for these technologies, Renishaw has established several industry partnerships over the last 18 months, spanning the medical, aerospace and sports gear industries. Working alongsideHerantis Pharma, for instance, the company has been able to create and test a unique ‘neuroinfuse drug delivery device，’有可能治疗帕金森氏病等疾病。
As part of an航天Technology Instituteproject, Renishaw has also begun developing a群众生产航空3D打印机能够大规模创建飞机组件，同时与British Cycling去年看到该公司部署了原始500qto help buildTeam GB’s Tokyo 2020 track bike.
On the business front, Renishaw’s ‘Fit for the Future’ campaign has curtailed its 3D printing sales somewhat but protected it from the worst of the pandemic, and it reported a FY 2021pre-tax profit of £120 million. The company also achieved this feat in spite of attempts by its majority shareholders to sell their stake earlier this year, but having找不到买家, both are now committed for the long haul.
Flexing-up with the new RenAM
与Renam 500范围的其余部分一样，Flex包括250mm x 250mm x 350mm的构建体积，智能的高容量气流系统和中冷器集成气电路。因此，这些机器能够创建均匀的条件，用于处理具有一致冶金的零件，而其“ SafeChange”滤镜系统确保了这种构建不会被破坏中间印刷。
Thanks to these features, Ren AM 500 systems old and new are said to yield components that are free of any chemical, micro-structure or mechanical defects with a density of up to 99.9%, as well as ‘maximized strength and ductility.’
Where the new single-laser 500S and quad-laser 500Q differ from their predecessors, is that they provide users with greater flexibility when changing powder, allowing bureau adopters to more easily meet client demand. In practise, the machines are able to achieve this via their new closed loop powder recirculation and open gravity fed systems, which reduce the need for user intervention, and effectively maximize throughput.
“If the manufacturer no longer requires a flexible AM system, the Flex can be converted into a recirculating machine — a feature that is unique to this system,” explained Dixon. “Converting the system provides manufacturers with the highest productivity additive manufacturing option for serial production.”
为了额外的好处，Renam 500和500Q能够在原位的这些模式之间切换，从而使R＆D和生产之间的无缝过渡和粉末循环。在这样做的过程中，雷尼沙说：“可以在单台机器上进行实验室到体积生产的每个阶段”，并在用户的应用程序所需的情况下升级，以确保“无缝过渡到量制造”。
Renishaw的LPBF竞争对手
英国最新的粉recircul一样令人印象深刻ation system-equipped machines are, they are designed to address an increasingly competitive laser powder bed fusion market. One such competitor isEOS公司的3 d打印机继续发现爱尔兰ospace applications, and its P396 machine, is currently being used by阿提哈德工程to explore the serial production of aircraft parts.
SLM Solutions还与航空专家合作Safran Landing Systemsrecently to3D打印商务喷气起落架at a previously-unprecedented scale. Through adopting theSLM 800, Safran was able to expedite the part’s qualification and identify its optimal design within days, before creating a 15% lighter component than conventional alternatives.
Similarly to Renishaw,TRUMPF制造大量与3D打印无关的机械，但其“激光金属融合”产品已经发现了广泛的航空航天和汽车应用。在一个这样的用例中，该公司与马勒in July 2020 to3D print Porsche 911 pistonswith a newly-integrated design, that provided the car’s engine with 30 extra horsepower.
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Featured image shows a row of Renishaw’s new 500Q Flex 3D printers. Photo via Renishaw.
