Modern Machine Shop

JAN 2018

Modern Machine Shop is focused on all aspects of metalworking technology - Providing the new product technologies; process solutions; supplier listings; business management; networking; and event information that companies need to be competitive.

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ADDITIVE INSIGHTS MMS JANUARY 2018 40 mmsonline.com Understanding Industrial 3D Printing AUTHOR | Timothy Simpson Professor of Engineering Design & Manufacturing Pennsylvania State Univeristy height of the component that can be achieved are limited. AM allows for virtually any internal shape, and, in this case, we used lattice structures to support the component's internal geometry while using less material and thereby reducing its overall weight. And because we were able to use less mate- rial, we could afford to use a higher-grade alloy that will not only extend the life of the component, but also offer improved corrosion resistance. The additively manufactured component is 40 percent lighter than the machined component would be. Could we have achieved this reduced weight through traditional machining? Sure, we could machine out holes and features to lightweight the component, but we could not machine the lattice structure throughout the entire part. And we would have to start with a solid block of material and machine much of it away, which would not have allowed us to substi- tute a more expensive material. In the end, additive manufacturing enabled us to build a component that performs better, lasts longer, is lighter weight and cannot easily be manufactured any other way. I will note that, even though we additively manufactured this component, machining was still needed to thread holes so it could be connected to a test rig. A special thanks to the team at Imperial Machine and Tool Co. for finishing this part for us. This shop is well-experienced in working with AM materials and components, having purchased a laser-based, powder-bed fusion system several years ago. In fact, its business has grown so much that the shop recently acquired a second AM system. I realize that not everyone can afford that level of investment, but this is another example of how AM also is changing the nature of work for machining professionals. You may not be asked to drill and machine the internal channels of a component such as this one, but instead to just finish off one that was built more economi- cally through AM, thanks, in this case, to light- weighting with lattice structures. A.M. IN A MACHINE SHOP Read about Imperial Machine & Tool's A.M. journey at gbm.media/imperialam . lang-technovation.com Pre-Stamping, Clamping, Automation – Innovative clamping solutions for highest holding power and process reliability from one source! grip the future

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