How is the 3D print industry heading towards industrial applications?
3D metal printing in the manufacturing industry Many manufacturers of 3D metal printers are currently busy developing their machines for production applications. This is where their future market(s) will be. In a number of aspects they go down the same road; in other aspects their developments differ.
Eric Klemp - director of the DMRC at the University of Paderborn in Germany - expects that, in the near future, 3D metal printers will significantly change in terms of machine design. Traditional machine manufacturers are entering the market; or at least, companies that have their roots in machine construction. They will bring more speed, robustness and stability to the process. "It's going to be 90% machine and 10% additive manufacturing, not the other way round, as is often the case today". Over the last few months, several large players in this market have presented their
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vision on this market. Concept Laser may be the most ambitious with the AM Factory of Tomorrow. Essential to this new concept (which the German manufacturer wishes to bring to market at the end of 2016) is the separation of the handling of powder and work piece on the one hand, and 3D printing on the other hand.
Physical separation process steps
Concept Laser has chosen for modules. The three key steps in the additive manufacturing process - pre-production, production
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