Additive manufacturing (AM) of metals has transformed the industrial sector by making it possible to produce elaborate and complicated parts more quickly and affordably. However, post-processing these parts imposes time and resource constraints that can negate the benefits of AM. The first difficult but essential step in the post-processing of metal AM components is the removal of the supports. Although they must be removed to produce the finished product to the desired shape, characteristics and tolerances, the supports are necessary for the integrity of the part during the manufacturing process. For many metal additive manufacturing applications, manual substrate removal is…
Ecology and the preservation of the Earth are a pressing social concern at the start of 2023. Startup in France. In POOLP’s micro-factory, plastic waste is transformed into products of high social and environmental value. During the 3D Print Paris 2022 event, the company won the startup competition. We all know that one of the methods to reduce waste production and carbon impact is additive manufacturing. Lorenzo Fauvette and Thomas Sicouri co-founders of the French start-up POOLP are two architects very concerned about the environment and passionate about the use of new technologies in the fields of design, art and…
Automation is becoming increasingly popular among industrial production organisations. To facilitate the movement and lifting of large objects, robotics is being used. Thanks to 3D printing technology, the Chinese-German industrial manufacturing company KUKA manufactures specialised robots. The company produces robotic arms for various sectors and uses MakerBot 3D printers. Kuka’s comment: Most of our robots have six axes. That is: 6 degrees of freedom with a load capacity of 3 kilograms to more than 1 tonne. Our work focuses on automation, robotics and solutions for virtually all industrial sectors, including aerospace, electronics and general industry. As a result, we are…
Metal cutting on less modern machining centres has been seriously challenged by robotic machining. Automation suppliers and robotic system integrators are gaining popularity with the latest robotic hardware and associated software. Robots are now used in a range of tasks that were previously only possible with machine tools for material removal. Robotic material removal applications include grinding, deburring, trimming and polishing. Laser and waterjet cutting processes are also handled by robots. When robots are compared to traditional machine tools, the advantage is significantly more room for manoeuvre. In addition to robotic milling of softer materials such as foam, plastics, wood,…
Ford uses a robot to move and assemble 3D printed parts. KUKA Systems Corp. created a mobile cobot at its Ford Advanced Manufacturing Center in Michigan. Ford employees maintain the equipment, design new applications for the technology and send 3D drawings to the printer. Once the staff have left, Ford can continue to use the KUKA robot to run its 3D printers. The company says this not only increases throughput, but also reduces the price of custom-printed products. A brake line bracket for the Mustang Shelby GT500 with the Performance package is one of the unique low-volume items Ford has…
As with other arts, tattooing is an ancient art that often requires human skill. It takes years to develop the necessary delicate touch, but with perfect precision and precise movements. The tattoo craze has gone from being a fad to a true lifestyle that merits investment in cutting-edge technology and innovations that make possible what we once thought impossible. One of the few things we have yet to see in the age of the screen, a robotic arm and 5G technology has made it possible to perform the first remote tattoo. The project, titled “The Impossible Tattoo”, was filmed as…
Ryerson University’s Design and Technology Lab. A 1245 kg robotic arm is waiting to create art with you inside its workshop, which seems to be an incredibly safe proposition in the face of COVID. What’s more, this particular robotic rig will work behind a glass window, making it even more pandemic-friendly. This project is carried out via a QR code must be visible that once you scan the code, a website will direct you there, asking you to draw anything on your computer screen. What you write here will be included in the installation as seen through the lab window….
Large-scale printing is made possible by robotic arms because of their longer reach, numerous axes and greater freedom. 3D printing manufacturers have modified them for both polymer and metal AM solutions. In the list below, we look at what is currently available for both original and modified solutions. Undoubtedly, one of the world leaders in automation is the German firm KUKA. It develops solutions that can be modified for additive manufacturing. One of these is the reach from 2,671 to 3,904 mm and the load capacity from 120 to 300 kg of the KR QUANTEC range of robot arms. The…
According to ABB, PowerPac is particularly suitable for low-volume, high-mix printing, as it supports a variety of operations, such as welding and printing with granules or concrete. ABB’s RobotStudio offline programming and simulation software now incorporates the 3D printing capabilities of its PowerPac software. The software can convert any standard cutting software design into robot code and into the simulation environment used by ABB. This means it takes operators about 30 minutes to go from the CAD design phase to the final modelling of a product. Traditional printing operations gain much more from the addition of a free-form robotic arm…
Netherlands-based Aectual manufactures both indoor and outdoor furniture and architectural components. Using a Siemens PLC, a customised industrial extruder, an ABB robotic arm and an IRC5 controller, the company has actually created its own XL 3D printing system. Concrete, bioplastics, terrazzo and reclaimed waste plastics are just some of the materials Aectual can print on. With a printing area of 500 square feet at its Amsterdam headquarters, it offers high-volume printing. It creates fully customised and environmentally friendly flooring using 3D printing technology. The structures of the custom designs are made from recycled bioplastic and then recycled granite or marble…