Additive manufacturing is making strides toward mass production viability.
3D printing has historically been a prototyping tool, with major disadvantages against injection molding when it comes to large-scale manufacturing of parts. Now, we’re seeing today’s additive manufacturing technology start to address these challenges. One company doing this is HP and their powder bed fusion printing system, the HP Multi Jet Fusion.
Check out this video interview with David Tucker, Market Development Engineer at HP 3D Print, where he describes the advantages and challenges facing 3D printing’s journey to the manufacturing floor.
Since additive is a layer-based system, any way to maximize
the work done at each layer in a build will increase speed and reduce costs.
This includes printing multiple parts on the same build.
Auto-packing or nesting software can help design the optimal
orientation and positioning of multiple parts to set up the maximized build.
The Multi Jet Fusion uses a proprietary PLM software called NX, developed by Siemens.
HP engineers used design principles to promote stackability
and nesting, such as draft angles, in combination with the software, to print
80 parts in one build—a feat that challenges injection molding.
Could additive be a viable production technique at your
company? Let us know in the comments below.
