Big Ideas in AM: 10 Examples of 3D-Printed Tooling
Additive manufacturing can aid conventional manufacturing through the production of tooling. This article showcases 10 clever uses of 3D-printed tooling.
Stephanie Hendrixson
Senior Editor, Additive Manufacturing
ESPRIT CAM, Alma CAM Partner for Robot Additive DED Programming
Collaboration to provide customers with an end-to-end solution for robot programming, simulation, verification, collision detection, code generation and more.
Why Robots and Additive Manufacturing Go Together
3D printing and robots enable one another. We miss the possibilities of one if we do not consider the other. The combination includes AM for end effectors, robots for 3D printing parts, and different modes of metal and plastic production.
Thyssenkrupp's Low-Risk Venture into 3D Printing Began with the End Effector
Thyssenkrupp Bilstein of America's investment in additive manufacturing technology has been relatively low-risk and low-cost. And yet, layer by layer, the wins are adding up.
Robot Is Production Solution for Laser Metal Deposition
The move from prototyping to production might involve a move from machine tool to robot, but development work between Formalloy and the robot suppliers means the process and programming do not have to change.
July 2019 Issue Explores Robots and 3D Printing
The latest issue of Additive Manufacturing magazine explores the interplay between robots and 3D printing, from part handling to robot as 3D printer.
Robots, Assemble! A New Path to Autonomous Mobile 3D Printing
Robot swarms may sound alarming, but research at the University of Arkansas reveals that they may enable a new, ultra-efficient era of automated manufacturing and 3D printing.
How 3D Printing Will Change Composites Manufacturing
A Q&A with the editor-in-chief of CompositesWorld explores tooling, continuous fiber, hybrid processes, and the opportunities for smaller and more intricate composite parts.
Peter Zelinski
Editor-in-Chief, Additive Manufacturing
The Promise of Robotic Metal Additive Manufacturing
Addere’s robot-based laser system builds using standard weld wire. The company was spawned from a robot integrator, and that background has been valuable for both overcoming the challenges and perceiving the possibilities of using a robot for metal 3D printing.
Bastian Solutions Launches Robot Warehouse Picker with Parts Developed Via Additive Manufacturing
Bastian Solutions Shuttle System, a robotic materials handler, is made possible by parts produced using additive manufacturing.
Consortium Builds Ship Propeller Via Wire plus Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM)
The robot-driven deposition technology has been successfully applied in a propeller application for the marine industry.
Tribologically Optimized Filament Delivers Maintenance-Free 3D-Printed Robot Grippers
A Germany-based cosmetics company saved 85 percent in the cost of its robot grippers by switching from aluminum to 3D-printed polymer.
Carbon Fiber Bike Frame Made Possible with Robotic 3D Printing
Arevo’s True3D printing process, which deposits carbon fiber towpreg using a robotic arm, enabled the creation of a bike frame design that would not have been possible otherwise.
Lockheed Martin to Integrate Machine Learning with Metal 3D Printing
In partnership with the Office of Naval Research, Lockheed Martin is undertaking a project to develop multi-axis robots that can optimize 3D printing in process.
For AM and Machining to Work Together, Let Them Compete
A medical device maker establishes a center of excellence for product and process development in which additive manufacturing and CNC machining both challenge and complement one another.
Peter Zelinski
Editor-in-Chief, Additive Manufacturing
Large-Scale 3D Printing Supports Innovation in Construction
Branch Technology’s robot-based Cellular Fabrication (C-Fab) 3D printing technology builds open matrices in high-performance polymers. These structures could be the framework for better, more sustainable building practices.
One-Piece Robot Gripper Actuated by Shop Air
The pneumatic gripper 3D-printed as a complete working unit has demonstrated its effectiveness for continuous operation over time. It is one illustration of the role additive is liable to play in making robotic automation easier.
Webinar Explores Cobots for Additive Manufacturing
A free May 9 webinar hosted by Universal Robots addresses the use of collaborative robots (cobots) alongside 3D printing.
3D Printing Enables Casting in November Issue
The November 2017 issue of Additive Manufacturing magazine features a foundry augmenting its traditional operations with a robotic sand 3D printing system, among other stories.
3D Robotic Deposition Advances Conformal Cooling
A new conformal cooling technique has emerged, rooted in a multilayer robotic deposition technology that is capable of manufacturing near-net shape objects.
Foundry Says Robotic Sand Printing a “Game Changer” for Metal Casting
The Hazleton Casting Company augments its traditional foundry operations with additive manufacturing. A new sand 3D printing system is expanding options for the foundry’s customers in areas including legacy tooling, product development and design complexity.
The Hidden Complexities of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing
Lincoln Electric Additive Solutions’ robotic metal 3D printing process is a choreographed dance between welding, robots, automation, heat management and machining. The new venture may have a distinct advantage in the field: its parent company’s 125 year-old legacy.
Brent Donaldson
Senior Editor, Additive Manufacturing Media
Eight-Axis Robotic System Prints Composite Parts
This concept machine leverages robotics to 3D print in eight axes.
7 Important Implications of the New Stratasys Production Demonstrators
One working machine concept expands the build size and speed for FDM. Another performs robotic 3D printing in composite material. Here is what these two concepts suggest about the advance of additive manufacturing into industrial production.
SLM Achieves Weight Reduction for Robot Actuator
Selective laser melting made it possible to create a lighter, better performing actuator for a quadruped robot.
AM System Using TIG Welding and Robot Relies on Flexible Enclosure for Gas Protection
The WAAM system has demonstrated the ability to produce a titanium aircraft part, but titanium in particular requires protection against oxidation.
Laser-Sintered Grippers Solve Robotic Packing Challenges
Additive manufacturing produced lighter, stronger vacuum grippers for robots on a food packaging line.
Video: Additive Manufacturing Robot for Foundry Molds
In addition to making either metal or plastic parts, one other production application of additive manufacturing is building in sand to create molds for casting without any need for a pattern.