Renishaw – a British manufacturer of industrial metrology systems and 3D printers for metal, presented a new, proprietary method of additive manufacturing from metal, which is intended to shorten the time of 3D printing parts by up to 50%. The technology, called TEMPUS, uses seamless communication between advanced software and machine components to enable metal-melting lasers to fire as the new layer spreading arm moves, reducing the time needed to completely distribute each layer.
The company claims that this process reduces the compilation time of each layer to nine seconds. It uses advanced scanning algorithms that sequence data layers in a way that reduces the risk of deterioration of part quality. Alloyed, an expert in the field of metal components, is to use this technology from 2021 in applications in consumer electronics and IT.
While traditional metal 3D laser printing systems require the powder to be completely distributed in the build chamber before the layer is consolidated, with TEMPUS technology the lasers can operate at the same time while the machine’s distribution arm is still moving. The patented technology uses seamless communication between advanced software and hardware components to synchronize the lasers with the powder distribution module, reducing the time to create each layer to nine seconds. For builds with thousands of layers, this can reduce the overall 3D printing time by dozens of hours.
However, most importantly, there is no deterioration in the quality of the parts. The technology uses advanced scanning algorithms that sequence layer data in a way that maximizes productivity while maintaining part quality. Optimization suits some part geometries more than others, but some productivity benefits can be observed for all geometries. For example, parts with thin, vertical features are likely to see proportionately greater productivity savings.
TEMPUS is available as a paid upgrade for Renishaw RenAM 500 3D printers, but is included as standard with the new RenAM 500 Ultra series machines, which debuted at Formnext in Frankfurt am Main. The RenAM 500 Ultra includes all the key features of the RenAM 500 series and is available in single and quad laser configurations. In addition to TEMPUS, it also uses advanced process monitoring software that provides operators with detailed construction data, as well as automated powder and waste handling systems optimized for series production.
Source: www.renishaw.com
Source: www.renishaw.com (press materials / all rights reserved)