3D Printing

3D print features on outer diameters of shafts

Fabrisonic LLC, a manufacturer of Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing machines and 3D metal printing, adds rotary access to its SonicLayer 7200. The in-house machine is the largest of three machines developed by Fabrisonic, and is used to make parts for customers in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and military applications.

Front view of new rotary axis. Below the Al cylinder work piece, the ‘hot dog rollers’ provide an upward force to counteract the downward thrust of the UAM welder.
Front view of new rotary axis. Below the Al cylinder work piece, the ‘hot dog rollers’ provide an upward force to counteract the downward thrust of the UAM welder.

“With this new capability, the rotary will allow us to expand from orthogonal printing to axial printing,” comments Mark Norfolk, president and CEO of Fabrisonic.

Side view of new rotary axis. The lower aluminum cylinder represents a part to which metal can be printed for building up flanges and strengthening ribs.
Side view of new rotary axis. The lower aluminum cylinder represents a part to which metal can be printed for building up flanges and strengthening ribs.

This additional rotary axis is designed to position a cylindrical part under the welding system, and enables the 3D printing of metal features on the outer diameter of a shaft, cylinder or pipe. It can be used for applications, such as cladding expensive metals onto inexpensive substrates, adding intermittent stiffeners to pressure vessels and adding 3D features to standard bar stock.

The SonicLayer 7200 has a work envelope of 72 in. x 72 in. x 36 in. Other machines include The SonicLayer 4000 with a work envelope of 24 in. x 36 in. and the SonicLayer R200 with a build envelope of 20 x 12 x 6 in.