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Oct 13, 2017 | By David

The recent EMO show in Hannover saw the demonstration of Gefertec’s latest 3D printing development. The new GTarc metal 3D printing center allows metal parts to be produced using the company’s revolutionary 3DMP technology, and they are produced quickly and cost-effectively. Global electronics giant Siemens has been making use of Gefertec’s new metal 3D printing system in its electric motor factory in Bad Neustadt.

"The use of additive manufacturing is an important pillar of the factory's digitization strategy," says Karsten Heuser, head of the Siemens Additive Manufacturing Center. The company’s machining department is a real showcase when it comes to Industry 4.0 Smart Factory breakthroughs, with 3D printing technology leading the way alongside the use of ITS platform Mindsphere to analyze processes on the floor.

The adoption of Gefertec’s GTarc metal 3D printing system is a real vote of confidence in the German start-up's product, which was picked up by 3D printing giant FIT AG back in March of this year. It will  expand Siemens' cutting-edge technology base and also be a natural progression from its use of CNC controlled milling, as the technology is already well established in the company’s programming environment.

The 3DMP technology produces a metal part by starting with a CAD model, and the CAM software directs the CNC arc welding head with an unparalleled level of precision. Standard CNC milling is used to finish off the part. The resolution of the components manufactured using 3DMP® is +/- 0.3 cm, the maximum size of the components is currently approx. 1 m³. 

The GTarc machining centre is available as a 3-axis version for parts up to 3 m³ and as a 5-axis version for parts up to 0.8 m³, and can be easily upgraded should clients choose to. It has a number of advantages over more conventional methods, making it a more preferable manufacturing solution for all kinds of applications. Instead of working with metal powder, the process uses metal in the form of wire, which means that production costs are significantly less, around 10 percent of powder methods. The production speed is also a significant factor. A part can be produced at up to 600 cubic centimetres per hour, depending on the material. the machining centre is therefore ideally suited for the production of larger parts made of steel, nickel, titanium, or aluminium.

At the EMO show in Hannover, a metal work piece was demonstrated to show the system’s capabilities. The output volume was 85 kilos, and it was made of stainless steel. With regular CNC techniques, the part would have cost 4500 Euros to produce. With the 3DMP technology followed by CNC post-processing, production cost for this part was just 2000 Euros. The technology is now due to be demonstrated at the Formnext expo in Frankfurt, this coming November.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Application

 

 

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