A joint collaboration between internal groups of experts has made it possible for the Volvo Group to put its first 3D printed part in full serial production. The printed part is a connecting block for an oil filling pipe. 1500 units are planned to be 3D printed in plastic by the supplier. This is not […]
Additive Manufacturing Information
5 Challenges Preventing Companies from using Additive Manufacturing
In the modern world, Additive Manufacturing (AM) has an important role to play as a method that allows companies to evolve their products in response to the demands of the market. It allows for the customised design and manufacture of more complex structures and geometries, and can also result in higher manufacturing performance, greater efficiencies […]
Laser Powder Bed Fusion – SLS | DMLS
Powder Bed Fusion technologies use a thermal source (e.g. a laser) to cause fusion between powder particles. Most Powder Bed Fusion technologies use mechanisms for applying and smoothing powder as a part is constructed, resulting in the final component being covered in powder. TL;DR Powder Bed Fusion Technologies SLS – Selective Laser Sintering SLS Industry […]
Digital Inventory: The Waning of the Warehouse
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution continues to pick up steam (or should we say Gigabytes?), digitalisation is affecting all manner of industries, including manufacturing. One of the issues that digitalisation may be able to address in the manufacturing industry is that of the storage and production of spare parts to meet aftermarket needs. Traditionally, replacement […]
It’s a Small World After All – Decentralising Production with 3D Printing
The connecting power of technology has the potential to make a wide world smaller. One example of this is the impact of 3D printing, as it turns global into local, mega into mini, and shrinks supply chains worldwide. Also known as additive manufacturing, 3D printing has the ability to take an idea or physical product […]
The Exciting Role of 3D Printing in Short-Run Manufacturing
Traditionally, the manufacture of parts or products is a long and expensive process. Methods like injection moulding require significant time and money to produce the required units. Thus, for the manufacture of these units to become cost-efficient, they need to be produced in large volumes. But what about companies that only need a small number […]
Akhani 3D Launch
Akhani 3D lets forward thinking manufacturing businesses Make Possible. Additive manufacturing (also known as 3D Printing) (AM) machines are getting faster, design tools smarter and the portfolios of materials and finishes ever more suited to industrial applications. AM is no longer a trend on its way into the mainstream, it’s a serious global business. With […]
VAT Polymerization — SLA | DLP
According to U.S. Patent 4,575,330 (“Apparatus for Production of Three-Dimensional Objects by Stereolithography”) — Stereolithography (SLA or SL; also known as stereolithography apparatus, optical fabrication, photo-solidification, or resin printing) is a form of 3D printing technology used for creating models, prototypes, patterns, and production parts in a layer by layer fashion using photochemical processes by […]
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)
The most common extrusion technology is Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). It is more commonly known as Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), a term trademarked by Stratasys. TL;DR FFF Printer Characteristics Common Problems with FFF Printing Dimensional Accuracy Materials Benefits & Limitations Material extrusion 3D printing pushes a string of solid thermoplastic material (also known as filament) […]
The Demands on the Future of Manufacturing
We live in an increasingly ‘instant’ world. Instead of going to the DVD shops (or video shop, to take it back even further!), we access the movies we’d like to watch online; instead of picking up the pizzas to eat while we watch, we have them delivered to our houses via apps on our smartphones. In a world of increasingly on-demand services in the consumer realm, is a similar transformation in the pipeline for the manufacturing sector?