News 2D

People have been using metal injection molding (MIM) and metal sintering for decades to produce high-volume, net-shape parts for various industrial sectors. Automakers and agricultural equipment manufacturers rely on powdered metal (PM) parts for exhaust systems, camshaft assemblies, and structural components, for example, while MIM is used for everything from pistol slides to the table trays on commercial aircraft.

Someone who can tell you all about PM applications is Nate Higgins, plant manager for Alpha Precision Group’s MIM division, who noted that the St. Marys, Pa., company’s three divisions have more than 50 years of combined experience servicing these and other markets.

What intrigues Higgins the most right now, though, are several entirely novel ways of processing PM. One of them—additive manufacturing (AM)—already has produced significant benefits for him and his manufacturing team, with more to come as they expand their new capabilities to APG’s customer base.

In July 2018 APG purchased a Studio System 3D printer from Desktop Metal Inc. It does not print with loose metal powders like those used to make PM and MIM parts. Instead, its feedstock is metal rods impregnated with a binder material, which the system extrudes into the desired shapes in a manner similar to that of fused deposition modeling printers. Unlike FDM, however, parts printed on a Studio System require post-build debinding and sintering, processes with which APG is intimately familiar.

Higgins does not anticipate using the system for customers’ parts, however. “I’m a little critical of the dimensional accuracy and surface finish, in that neither are on par with what APG can accomplish with MIM,” he said. “And while it might be a very viable solution for shops making prototypes and low-volume end-use parts, I have to say that we’re awfully good at tooling up for MIM. So by the time you tweak the build settings to meet the required part tolerances and then finish-machine any critical surfaces, we can probably deliver actual MIM parts instead.”

Tooling Up

What he is using the Studio System for, and with excellent results, is 3D-printing tooling components for APG’s extensive machine shop.

“Chuck jaws is a big one, but we also make a lot of inspection gauges, coining and sizing dies, fixtures, and jigs, as well as lightweight end-effectors for our 6-axis robots,” said Technical Sales and Operations Manager Chris Aiello. “It’s given us the ability to test multiple design iterations quickly, with minimal investment in raw material and without having to tie up one of our CNC machines. Perhaps most importantly, it’s made us very flexible, and helps us to service our customers more effectively.”

The notion of 3D-printing end-of-arm tooling is particularly interesting for any shop looking to automate. Said Higgins, “We’ve had to make some fairly significant design changes to accommodate the additive manufacturing process, but, long story short, we’ve reduced the weight of the end effectors by around 30%, so it’s much easier on the robots. We’ve also developed some part geometries that would have been impossible to produce with traditional processes, and because we have the ability to print whatever we need in-house, there’s never the risk of unplanned downtime.”

Aiello added that the Studio System isn’t APG’s first foray into additive—not by a long shot. The company bought a Mark One continuous-fiber printer from Markforged in 2014, and today it has five 3D printers from the Massachusetts-based equipment manufacturer, including an Industrial series printer, all of which serve the machine shop.

“Between the Markforged machines and now the one from Desktop Metal, we can print tools from carbon-fiber reinforced nylon, fiberglass, Kevlar, and a variety of tool steels and have them on the shop floor in a day or two,” Aiello said. “It’s been a big improvement for us.”

Manufacturing engineers at Alpha Precision designed and 3D-printed this mechanical assembly used to tighten and loosen Allen bolts on a workholding fixture fitted to a vertical machining center. Image provided by APG

Next Step

Despite the success APG has enjoyed with its existing 3D printing equipment, Aiello and Higgins suggested that the path forward for the company is another new AM technology, one that will take 3D printing out of the machine shop and onto customers’ receiving docks.

It’s called binder jetting, and although the two managers are still exploring available options, they plan to bring binder jet capacity in-house during the second quarter of 2020.

“Probably 90% or more of our 3D-printed parts are currently for internal use,” Aiello said. “We plan to change that ratio as we move into binder jetting, which produces high-quality, fully dense metal parts much more quickly than competing technologies like DMLS [direct metal laser sintering] and SLS [selective laser sintering].”

Higgins agreed, adding that one of the coolest things about 3D printing is how it changes your way of thinking. “Bringing in the Studio System from Desktop Metal, for instance, has allowed our manufacturing engineers to think differently about their tooling designs and process flows,” he said. “Beyond that, it helps to secure the future of APG. AM is an extremely flexible technology and can be applied across a wide range of applications, a wide range of customers. So even though some in the MIM and PM industry might see it as a threat, we see 3D printing as a promising new opportunity and as providing us with a distinct leg up on our competition. For us, at least, there’s no going back.”

Exhibitions & Events

A museum can be a truly magical place. Think about it as a place where great inspirations have materialized and come to life visually. Museums can simultaneously entertain and educate, making them a favorite for educators worldwide. Behind the scenes, a lot of expertise, creativity and hard work is needed for each and every display. They are created by highly-skilled professionals who have spent years honing their craft. For them, coming up with a great museum exhibit design and then seeing it through to final production is incredibly fulfilling, although often fraught with the pressure of meeting deadlines that cannot be shifted. There’s even a specialty MA degree in exhibition design now offered at George Washington University.

The truth is, print shops and prop makers claim that there has been increasing interest for large format 3D printing from museums and galleries. Artists are turning to 3D printing, too. Here is Claudio Ciaravolo’s piece being produced by Sisma Italia on the Massivit 1800 and then showcased in Italy.

There are numerous advantages that 3D printing brings, specifically the ability to fabricate one-off projects at a reasonable cost, significantly reduced turnover times compared with traditional fabrication processes, and new realms in terms of creative freedom.

Turning a curator’s or designer’s vision into a reality can no doubt be challenging. So how does one go about building a great museum exhibit? We dove into the topic ourselves, and here’s what we found.

Phase 1: The Concept and Vision

A display or exhibit can be about science, history, art, or archeology. Yet the implementation and form need to be geared towards a designated target audience and age group. Thought must also be given to the required level of interactivity. How can you best engage with the personas that the museum aims to reach out to?

In the case of this 10-foot (3-meter) tall dinosaur, the aim of the museum was to attract train commuters to a new paleontology exhibition at the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris. It was decided to start promoting it at the closest train station. Looking for a way to produce a life-size Triceratops with authentic, intricate scales and features, the museum turned to large format 3D printing to create this massive beast. It was so effective and realistic that it caught the eye of all passersby. Print shop, Metropole, used the size of their Massivit 3D printer to their advantage for this undertaking, and the resulting authenticity demonstrated that any finish is truly possible, in this case, bringing an extinct species to life.

Making an exhibit interactive or dynamic in some way generally leaves a far greater impact on visitors. Lights, illumination, sensor triggers, or augmented reality features are sensory mainstays. They appeal to any audience and can effectively draw visitors’ attention to a particular part of an exhibit at a particular moment.

Large 3D printed displays can easily integrate interactive features. So it’s important to take these capabilities into account when designing or creating a museum exhibit.

Assuming the storyline, background context, and educational content have been defined, any featured animal, prop, or setting can be fabricated digitally, meaning the end result will precisely replicate the design. Today’s technology means you can either scan a physical object with a 3D scanner or design it from scratch in CAD software such as ZBrush or Rhino. What you see on the screen is what emerges straight out of the 3D printer, within hours.

Making an exhibit interactive or dynamic in some way generally leaves a far greater impact on visitors. Lights, illumination, sensor triggers, or augmented reality features are sensory mainstays that appeal to any audience and can effectively draw visitors’ attention to a particular part of an exhibit at a particular moment. Large 3D printed displays can easily integrate interactive features, so it’s important to take these capabilities into account when designing or creating a museum exhibit.

Phase 2: Production

One of the key reasons why it has become popular to create museum exhibits with large format 3D printers like the Massivit 1800, is the speed at which projects can be delivered, from design through implementation. Being that fabricators are regularly presented with short deadlines, large 3D printers are often the only realistic option.

Phase 3: Installation and Logistics

Another big advantage to using a Massivit large format 3D printer is that the parts are 3D printed hollow. From the start, they are light and yet strong. This helps with transportation and logistical considerations. It also allows for last-minute changes in the final context, as parts can easily be moved around. Producing hollow models and displays also enables more control over the degree of internal illumination.

Phase 4: The Unveiling

Once your clients know they’re able to incorporate an augmented reality app or social media hashtags into their visitors’ journey, they’re sure to want to leverage these marketing and engagement tactics, so it’s important to expose them to it at the start.

These features can also be planned for the launch of the museum exhibit to attract more visitors. Your job is to ensure your potential clients know the full range of creative possibilities and that you are fully equipped to hit their deadlines.

To find out more about how large format 3D printing is helping print shops win projects across multiple verticals, contact Massivit 3D for a chat.  To read more, scroll down.