Additec and Amorphology Collaborate to Hybrid Additive Manufacturing of Cost-Effective Strain Wave Gears

AddiTec is famous3D printingmachine equipment manufacturerMeltioFounding Partner and Distributor.Recently, the Antarctic bear learned that it has a relationship with the United StatesaviationaerospaceAmorphology, a spin-off company specializing in advanced materials, has partnered with NASA to develop special3D printingGearbox parts.

It is reported that the original intention of the cooperation between the two manufacturers is to use additive manufacturing to develop large-scale steel strain wave gear flex lines. Strain wave gears are a special type of gearbox used in robotic arms and precision motion systems. They are compact, feature zero backlash, and transmit torque through a gear thin-walled cup called a flexline.

The flex wire is responsible for the high manufacturing cost of strain wave gearboxes when using conventional manufacturing techniques. This can be attributed to features such as precise gear teeth and flexible walls, making strain wave gears a significant part of the cost of a six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) robotic arm.Dr. Glenn Garrett, CTO of Amorphology, said: “Conventional processes can reduce large steel stock by as much as 10% when machining flexible gears 6 to 8 inches in diameter. From a cost and sustainability perspective, this is a disadvantage becauseenergyAnd material is wasted producing a part with only original stock.

△ The two companies have 3D printed a 6-inch diameter strain wave gear flex wire as part of the collaboration. Photo courtesy of AddiTec.

Go the 3D printing route

By opting for additive manufacturing, it is possible to 3D print these gear flex wires at a significantly reduced cost, simplifying traditional manufacturing workflows and making the use of high-performance steel cost-effective.Amorphology and AddiTec have jointly developed a 6-inch diameter strain wave gear flex line using 17-4 precipitation hardened steel. Part prototypes were 3D printed and then CNC machined on a Haas CNC hybrid system running a Meltio unit, a modular directed energy deposition DED printhead. In addition to cutting material usage and production costs, the method also enables flexible wire to be manufactured in various sizes on demand. This means that users do not have to keep stock of each diameter at all times, reducing warehousing and logistics costs.

Dr. Yash Bandari, Business Development Manager at AddiTec, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Amorphology to provide them with a solution to make parts by drastically reducing expensive machining. We look forward to working together to drive innovation.”

△Processing flexible wires and hybrid 3D printing flexible wires. Image via AddiTec.

Meltio’s Laser Metal Deposition Technology

AddiTec attributes the success of the demonstration part to the capabilities of Meltio’s Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) technology. Compatible with wire and powder materials, the DED process uses a laser beam to melt raw metal into weld beads. These beads are stacked on top of each other to create a fully dense, near-mesh metal part such as a flexible wire. Meltio Engine laser heads can be retrofitted to a variety of control systems, including CNC machine tools, robotics and gantry systems.

AddiTec CEO Brian Matthews added: “Meltio’s ability to integrate with CNC machines makes it a hybrid system. Hybrid manufacturing is a one-stop solution for the production of seamless metal parts that combines additive on a common platform and subtractive operations, thereby reducing the overall cost and time to manufacture parts.”
Amorphology and AddiTec have said they plan to advance their partnership into flexible lines of multi-material and functionally graded materials that are impossible to produce with traditional manufacturing techniques.

△Meltio’s LMD tool head is integrated with the CNC. Photo via Meltio.

DED 3D printing has a wide range of applications. Just recently, an additive manufacturing consortium including Airbus, Safran Landing Systems and the National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland (NMIS) began working on a new hybrid DED 3D printing process for the aerospace sector. The technology will be used to 3D print critical aerospace components, such as those that make up aircraft landing gear, as well as in MRO applications.

Elsewhere, developers with metal wire arc DED technologyMX3DRecently unveiled its partially 3D printed “WAAM Clip”. This mixed industrial component is an example of a pipe wrench, a component used to seal high pressure leaks in the chemical and oil and gas sectors. It is an integral part of plumbing repairs and also increases the life of the unit before repairs are required.

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Additec and Amorphology Collaborate to Hybrid Additive Manufacturing of Cost-Effective Strain Wave Gears

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