Renishaw presents additive manufacturing products at formnext 2015

Other highlights include Renishaw’s new global network of Solutions Centres and a live demonstration of the company’s capability in delivering comprehensive solutions for manufacturing and process control. As official supplier to Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing team and member of its Technical Innovation Group (TIG), Renishaw will use a metal 3D printed part for the T2 racing yacht to demonstrate how an additive metal part moves through an integrated, full production process chain.

With core skills in measurement, motion control, spectroscopy and precision machining, Renishaw has been applying its engineering excellence to help solve customers’ manufacturing challenges for over 40 years.

Early next year, the company is opening its doors to share its expertise via Additive Manufacturing Solutions Centres. Here manufacturers will benefit from dedicated incubator cells equipped with Renishaw AM systems. Customers can run an evaluation project to assess how AM might benefit their company with the support of Renishaw engineers. A key emphasis being on knowledge and skills transfer. The goal is to provide an insight into the technical and commercial benefits of AM and ultimately to provide the evidence to support investment in metal additive manufacturing technology.

Fully designed and engineered in-house to be used for serialised production, the RenAM 500M builds complex metal components directly from CAD using metal powder fusion technology. Highlights of the system include a Renishaw designed and engineered optical system with dynamic focussing; automated powder sieving and recirculation; 500W ytterbium fibre laser and patented high capacity dual filter SafeChange system.

Formnext also sees the launch of the AM400 flexible metal additive manufacturing system. This new model is a development of the AM250 platform. It includes all the advantages of the latest machine updates with larger SafeChange filter, improved control software, revised gas flow and window protection system and a 400W optical system that gives a reduced laser beam diameter of 70mm.

Renishaw has a long and successful track record of engineering software development, with a team of over 300 experienced software developers all working in-house. QuantAM is software used for build file preparation and is designed by Renishaw, specifically for the company’s additive manufacturing systems.

Renishaw Solutions Centres will provide a secure development environment in which customers can expand their knowledge and confidence using AM technology. They will be equipped with the latest AM systems and staffed by knowledgeable engineers to allow fast access to deploying the technology, all at fixed predictable costs.