Designed for CCDC Army Research Laboratory, 3D Systems currently develops a metal 3D printer that would improve supply chains associated with long-range munitions, next-generation combat vehicles, helicopters, air and missile defense capabilities.
As a reminder, the development of this 3D printer was announced last year, following a $15 million contract award signed with the US Army.
To date, the manufacturer can already reveal that the machine will combine several lasers (9 to be exact), a large build chamber (1 m x 1 m x 600 mm) and unique material deposition processes.
Development and first tests
3D Systems is acknowledged for its variety of solutions in materials, hardware, software and services in the AM industry. The development of this machine reminds the manufatcurer’s ability to produce tailor-made solutions for users across industries.
In this specific based, the development is based on existing technologies integrated in the company’sDMP Flex 350, DMP Factory 350, and DMP Factory 500 3D printers.
“Development and demonstration of this first of its kind technology has far reaching implications across our industrial base as it shapes and transforms the supply chain around it,” said Lisa Strama, president and CEO of NCMS. “This project has also provided the unique ability to concurrently plan for and address a complex ecosystem for maximizing the benefit to US manufacturers’ competitiveness from the outset.”
The first test print has been performed at the end of October 2020 using a selective powder deposition process. This concept limits the amount of material needed to produce very large parts by depositing the material only where it is needed in the build – accelerating time-to-final part and reducing material cost. The build chamber also includes a heated build plate to reduce thermal stress and also improve deposition quality during the build.
According to the developer, the optical train is one of the most important features of the 3D printer. It enables each of the nine lasers with its own melt pool monitoring system to achieve enhanced quality control. By employing the same optical system as used in its DMP platform, the Company can leverage the existing material library which has been extensively tested and fine-tuned for optimal performance. Pulling from the data associated with these high-performance materials accelerates development of new materials.
The Company is also integrating its vacuum chamber concept for high, repeatable quality. 3D Systems’ inerting process is many times faster and consumes substantially less argon (at least ten times less) than conventional metal 3D printers. The inerting process dramatically reduces the oxygen level during processing to below 25ppm, which is revolutionary compared to the 500-1,000 ppm in most conventional metal 3D printers. This results in exceptionally strong parts of high chemical purity while powder quality remains high through the lifetime of the material’s usage. This results in a significantly reduced total purchase cost of compressed argon over machine lifetime as well as savings enabled by powder reusability for lower Total Cost of Operation.
The inclusion of six high contrast single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras within the build chamber delivers a comprehensive view of the build in-situ. Each camera is positioned above the powder bed with direct top-down view. This unique viewpoint eliminates the need for image manipulation, resulting in the ability to obtain build data real-time thus accelerating the process. The firmware within the system is capturing all digital input including sensor data, positional information, melt pool data and powder bed pictures into an SQL database. This enables full insight into the build and is invaluable for part and process validation and qualification. Additionally, 3D Systems is leveraging the same proven additive manufacturing software used within its DMP platform to optimize designs and streamline processes to accelerate print times and reduce material consumption.
“3D Systems was founded on a spirit of innovation, and our customers play a key role in catalyzing this process,” said Chuck Hull, co-founder and chief technology officer, 3D Systems. “Our collaboration with ARL is allowing us to elevate our research and development efforts, achieving many industry firsts on our way to empowering the ARL to meet their goals. Our accomplishments through the first phases of this project will fuel the next, on our way to helping ARL scale their capabilities and bolstering their supply chain.”
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