Which real future for the RP/RM techs??

[eragon]

Hello to everybody.

My questions are simple and are turned both to the expert RP service bureau but also to the RP services end users.

Which will be indeed the turn of this market in the next future?
Do you think that really the Rapid Manufacturing will be colonized by the Direct "Melting" of the Metal (DMM)? or there is still space for new materials (tech filled resins, powders etc) on the already known technologies as f.ex. SLA, SLS, FDM etc??

Because seems that the "DMM" is still far to be a "without defect" RM technology (still problem of rough surface and small volumes for me) or do you know metal direct RM machine really OK right now? ...and if no? how long still for to reach it?

Thanks to whom will want to answer me.

Bye.
eragon.

[fcevolini]

Hello Eragon,

a lot of Company are pushing in the DMM direction but I think that you are right, we are still far from automotive, motorsport and other market needs. The surface finish is terrible and furthermore the quality "inside" is still too variable! At the present time there are some plastic composite materials (WindForm XT is one of them) that can be used successfully for a lot of really functional application and with a very nice quality.
Anyway research is going on and we will see what it will happen in the near future....

Thanks for writing,
fcevolini.

[eragon]

ok, really many thanks for your opinion,
but would be fine to have something other rumor because, yes I have read about Windform XT on the web site, but I think that the direct metal manufacturing will be really another thing when will be available and stabile as now the SLA and SLS for the RP, so mean without the big defects listed before.

For example, at the moment which is the company with the best solution about direct metal (Rapid) manufacturing? POM, Solidica, Arcam, ProMetal, Optomec, MCP, Accufusion or others?

Thank you.

eragon.

[fcevolini]

Well, it is not a simple question. All these systems have positive and negative details.
I prefer Arcam so far because I see in the electron beam a very big potential. Furthermore Arcam is a real free-form production, other systems have some limits (i.e. supports) that Arcam overtakes.

Ciao.

[livia]

In any case the best machine on the market is still the Arcam one: no alloys constraints, no porosity, no stress inside the material, almost no slicing...they have just to increase reliability and surface definition...and build area...
What's your mind?

[eragon]

ok guys, but finally someone has an idea in how many time this Metal RM will be real available? Yes I know that is already on the market for a long time but for ex. why in your opinion the build volume is still so small? What is about the volume dimensions the main problem? the weight? the temp? Thnks to whom will want to answer me. eragon.

[livia]

to be honest...I guess it is only a money problem: the R&D on such an expensive technology is hard...so first of all the companies have to sell what they have available first...to return as quickly as possible the money spent for this research...and then they will develop the new release. By the way I know that there is already some kind of larger beta machine…let’s wait and see…

[fcevolini]

It is not only a money related problem, there are also some technical issues.... We are talking about metal, not plastic, and so the machines have to stand a very high temperature and high weight! Anyway we will see in the near future!

[onur315]

Hi all,

Could anyone give more technical informations about the "Electrobeam process" and the Arcam company ?

Best Regards

Onur

[livia]

Hi onur315,

Arcam machine exploit a very interesting process, in my opinion it is one of the most promising, but still to be optimized.

It sounds like the SLS technology (selective laser sintering) but instead of a CO2 laser there is a beam of electrons, and instead of nylon powder there is a metal powder.
The beam has a very high power therefore it is able to supply it to the powder and only to the area where it touches the part bed. It melts the powder only in that area and create a shape, layer by layer, where the metal grains structure is like a casting and the internal density should be quite high (low porosity rate). This is more or less how it works…but if you need a deepen analysis I can ask to some of their guys to contact you.

Cheers, Livia