Renishaw and Metalpine show how additive manufacturing can reduce marine downtime with in-house parts.
Renishaw has collaborated with Metalpine, an Austrian producer of metal powders, to develop additive manufacturing (AM) solutions for marine applications. The partnership is focused on creating copper-nickel alloy (CuNi) powders for AM, to enable a major European naval force to manufacture replacement parts in-house using Renishaw’s RenAM 500Q Flex system.
Operating in saltwater environments presents challenges for naval operations, with hydraulic components and other essential parts subject to accelerated wear and corrosion. Rather than relying on extensive supply chains, the naval force in question chose to additively manufacture replacement parts in-house, opting for CuNi powder parts manufactured on a Renishaw RenAM 500Q Flex system.
Created with a blend of copper and nickel alloy, CuNi powders create a protective layer on the surface of components, preventing degradation. This makes them highly durable in the challenging marine conditions where parts are constantly exposed to moisture and sea elements. Engineers from Renishaw and Metalpine partnered to develop process parameters tailored to two specific copper-nickel alloys: CuNi 10, a combination of ten percent nickel and 90 percent copper, and CuNi 30, using 30 percent nickel and 70 percent copper.
The powders were used in the RenAM 500Q Flex, an advanced metal AM system designed for R&D and pre-production applications. With an open-loop powder system, this machine allows for efficient and quick powder swapping, making it ideal for developing and optimizing material properties, part designs and process parameters. With the Reduced Build Volume (RBV) accessory fitted, material prove out can be performed with as little as 0.25 litres of powder, with the same processing environment and optics as the full-scale production system.
The collaboration between Renishaw and Metalpine highlights how additive manufacturing can help reduce downtime in marine operations by enabling the in-house production of durable parts.
For further information on Renishaw’s RenAM 500 Flex AM system, visit the product page.
