Renishaw's Steve Bell highlights the benefits of AM 400

 

Over the years, Singapore has moved up the manufacturing value chain to undertake more complex, higher value-added manufacturing activities and advanced high-mix low volume production. And that is one reason why Renishaw is highlihting its expertise in metal additive manufacturing in MTA Singapore.

 

According to Steve Bell, General Manager- ASEAN, most of its customers are into R&D and education. "Our customers here in Singapore are really experimenting on the machine. Trying different things. The AM 400 mock machine that we have at the booth is the kind of machine that can be used in R&D establishments."

 

The AM 400, the flexible metal additive manufacturing system with 400 W laser, is a development of the AM250 platform. It includes all the advantages of the latest machine updates with larger SafeChange™ filter, improved control software, revised gas flow and window protection system, and a new 400 W optical system that gives a reduced laser beam diameter of 70 micrometres. The system build volume is 250 mm × 250 mm × 300 mm.

 

Existing 200 Watt material files for the AM250 system are directly transferable to the AM 400. The AM 400 is equipped with the features of the existing AM250, such as open materials parameters, small factory footprint, class leading inert atmosphere and low gas usage, with the added advantage of the PlusPac upgrade as standard.

 

Steve explained that the AM 400 features an external powder hopper with valve interlocks to allow additional material to be added whilst the process is running. It is possible to remove the hopper for cleaning or to exchange with a secondary hopper for materials change, using the universal silo lift. This means that multiple material types can be interchanged on the AM 400 platform with relative ease. The powder overflow containers are outside the chamber and have isolation valves so that unused materials can be sieved and reintroduced to the process via the hopper while the system is running.

 

During the interview, Steve showed the capabilities of its additive manufacturing systems by presenting a variety of complex 3D printed metal parts all made on Renishaw additive manufacturing systems.

  

Aside from AM 400, the company also conducted some live demonstration of the CNC machine installed with the Renishaw machine tool probes, a robot and the Renishaw Equator versatile gauging system. They showed how measurement data, from on-machine and off-machine measurement, and connectivity can enable highly automated accurate manufacturing with low overall labour costs to be realised.  It demonstrated the effects of machine tool performance on the quality of parts produced, and showed how manufacturers can monitor and control their machines to ensure they are capable of producing good parts. 

 

The company also demonstrated rapid automated setting of tools and workpiece location using standard user-programmable cycles. This also integrates the Renishaw Equator off-machine gauging using robot handling and data connectivity, to provide automatic tool offset control and point-of-manufacture quality assurance, keeping the machining process centred and giving confidence in the quality of parts before they progress to the next process. 

 

The Renishaw Equator, a versatile alternative to custom gauging, offers inspection of an unprecedented variety of manufactured parts. It has been developed and proven on a shop-floor environment in collaboration with industry-leading companies in multiple sectors and applications.