Automatic additive system with integrated DED technology, Meltio opens up new applications for large-scale metal manufacturing

In the two and a half years since its establishment in May 2019,3D printingMachine manufacturer OEM MeltioHas achieved rapid development. Antarctic Bear learned that in addition to installing about 110 machines in customer facilities around the world, the company has also established a new factory in southern Spain, a brand-new facility center in Florida, and the number of employees has risen to 70. .

OEM Meltio’s leading product portfolio includes its Meltio M450 small-scale industrial metal3D printingThe machine and Meltio engine are designed to seamlessly integrate with CNC machine tools, robotic arms and gantry systems to provide customers with affordable and available hybrid manufacturing capabilities.

Meltio’s Chief Technology Officer, Brian Matthews, said: “Our sales next year are expected to exceed 200 machines, which will really make us occupy a very important position in the additive manufacturing industry. If you look at metal In the market, few companies sell more than 20-30 machines per year, and only a few companies sell more than 100 machines. Our goal is to sell about 1,000 machines per year in the next few years. Therefore, I think we are already a very important participant , Even at the beginning of this project.”

Meltio’s multi-metal technology

Wire laser metal deposition (LMD) is a directed energy deposition (DED) process that Meltio has been developing. The LMD tool head of the printing system based on the DED principle uses multiple high-power lasers to directly melt the metal raw materials on the underlying substrate. Form completely dense metal parts. The company recently received a second patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), which Matthews said proves the novelty of LMD technology.

He explained: “Using multiple lasers allows us to have scalable laser power in a tightly integrated system. Therefore, it is very compact, easy to integrate with CNC machine tools and robots, and allows the material to be fed coaxially on the axis. , Which means that every direction looks the same during processing. The laser is tilted from the vertical direction, which allows the material to enter vertically, which is really critical, because most other companies’ laser line systems on the market tend to Put their wire feeder outside the shaft, like a lateral wire feeding mechanism, but this will put you a lot of restrictions.”

Meltio’s first customers are universities that want to conduct materials research. The ability to print with wire and powder opens up many possibilities in this field. Since then, the company has entered the production phase, which, according to Matthews, is “the real output.” In fact, he said that 99% of Meltio’s R&D work is in online materials.

△3D printed manifold produced by Meltio Engine Robot Integration Company. Photo from Meltio.

Matthews said: “In the field of metal printing, silk is almost the cheapest printing material. Conventional PBF systems have very high requirements on the quality of the powder. They must have very small particle sizes, and the particles must be spherical. This means a lot. The powder is rejected because it is not spherical, which increases the cost. For example, the cost of goods of 3 or 4 US dollars per kilogram eventually becomes 50 to 100 US dollars per kilogram, while the cost of using wire only increases a little, for example, per kilogram. 5 or 6 dollars per kilogram.”

Another important benefit of using wire as a raw material is the utilization of materials, which Matthews believes is actually “100%.” When considering the cost difference and material utilization advantage of the wire, he went on to say that the cost will eventually differ by 50 times, which has prompted more and more customers to choose wire. However, powder does have some advantages, such as material selection and fine functional gradient, so Meltio has products for both materials.

Meltio engine robot integration

The framework of Meltio Engine is only limited by the motion system. It can be easily integrated in any workshop and is driven by Meltio’s LMD technology. Since no special equipment is required, users who choose raw silk materials can benefit from cleanliness.
Meltio Engine robot integration turns the robot arm intoMetal 3D printingSystem, there is no inherent size limit, because the working range is only limited by the size of the motion system. The robot integration system is ideal for large-scale and complex 3D printing, repair, cladding and function addition, and can be integrated with any robot arm manufacturer and interface on the market.

The system can create complex parts with unlimited degrees of freedom and run on an open material platform, including stainless steel, low carbon steel, carbon steel, titanium and Inconel.

Nieto said: “We have an open platform, which means that the motion system, in this case, the robot, is something that customers can choose. This means that they have more geometric freedom and Greater work volume. Customers can add value to their business by bringing more applications.”
Robot integration system provides
FDM
Similar user experience, but for metal printing, the material can easily provide feedback parameters to the user through the sensor. Some other key advantages of using dual external axis positioners are the ability to print vertically, provide the best surface quality for the part, and provide multiple solutions for the same part.
The system prides itself on its reliability, allowing mass production and manufacturing of multiple prints of the same quality. There are also some upgrades to the robot integration system, including a programmable power supply that can preheat the material to increase the deposition rate, and a dual-line option that can simultaneously perform 3D printing of dual-line materials through rapid line change.

Open up new applications

With its Meltio engine robot integration, OEMMeltio has been able to achieve a variety of novel applications, show stronger mechanical performance, or can be manufactured more efficiently in terms of time, cost and material usage. For example, they can 3D print a plate that is usually found in the turbine industry. As a demonstration application, it is usually very expensive to manufacture by traditional methods.
Nieto explained: “In fact, our company is able to produce blades at a much lower cost than the traditional blades ground from metal blocks. We really want to show that it is possible to manufacture with our technology and it is very cheap. This method of manufacturing is interesting because it can produce hollow, lightweight parts compared to milling.”

In addition, Meltio’s wire laser DED technology has also been used in other fields.Matthews added that their products have been distributed to many industries, includingMedical treatment,aviationaerospace,energy,car, Electronics and energy industries (including nuclear power) manufacturing demonstration components. Through cooperation with them, the application potential of DED technology has been further explored.

The company also used its LMD technology to achieve variable diameter and layer height in a 3D printed manifold, and completed an optimized hollow structure and production speed for a three-blade propeller.

Nieto said: “Another example is a rotary screw compressor used in a supercharger. We think that if it is made hollow, it may be a very interesting application. In order to demonstrate the reliability of the technology, we did it in two ways. Hanging test. One is to orient the tool until it reaches 90 degrees, and the other is to orient the position of the tool head so that it is always in a vertical state. We have achieved similar results in both methods.”

△3D printed rotary screw compressor. Picture from Meltio

Meltio’s expansion plan

Looking forward to the future, Meltio hopes to continue its rapid growth trajectory, while expanding into new markets such as China and India, while striving to double the number of employees in the company next year.
Matthews said: “We plan to open showrooms in at least India and China in 2022. There are other markets. We may open four to five showrooms around the world next year. Of course, we will also establish a channel in these regions. The increase in personnel is a well-thought-out measure that will continue to strengthen the company’s R&D capabilities and increase the number of machine sales. Both aspects require the company’s production capacity to grow. This is a considerable project that we will undertake next year.
invest
, But this investment is driven by what we are truly proud of. As a company, we have every opportunity. “
Finally, he added that demand determines the company’s development, and it is precisely because of demand that they can sell so many machines, which in turn has achieved the company’s performance today.

(Editor in charge: admin)

Automatic additive system with integrated DED technology, Meltio opens up new applications for large-scale metal manufacturing

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