On Feb. 10, representatives of industry, government and
academia gathered in Columbus,
OH, for the Edison Welding
Institute’s (EWI) Additive Manufacturing Consortium (AMC) Kick-Off Meeting.
Despite the wintry weather, turnout for the event was strong, with all in
attendance eager to discuss advances in additive manufacturing across many
industries.
Mary Kinsella, Ph.D., senior materials research engineer for
the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, delivered the event’s keynote address, “Moving
Forward: Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace Metals,” in which she discussed
the relatively recent advent of additive manufacturing technologies and the
potential impact these technologies have on everything from medical, aerospace
and automotive to jewelry, gaming and sports industries. After detailing
technologies of particular interest to the aerospace industry, Kinsella noted
the challenges of implementing additive manufacturing as part of a business
plan when the initial focus of any such initiative - due to both technical
concerns and a scarcity of funds - falls on non-critical parts.
According to Kinsella, additive manufacturing needs to
demonstrate a good return on investment in order to gain momentum in industry.
The difficulty in this task is compounded, however, by financial concerns -
hence the need for an industry-spanning additive manufacturing consortium. “None
of us has deep pockets,” said Kinsella, “so we all need to collaborate where we
can…all for the purpose of moving this technology forward.”
Other morning presentations included:
- “Roadmap
for Additive Manufacturing,” presented by Prof. David Rosen of the Rapid
Prototyping & Mfg. Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology, which
examined additive manufacturing from a historical standpoint and posed the
question, Where will/should additive manufacturing be in 10-15 years? The answer: much advanced.
- “Additive
Metals,” presented by Blake Slaughter, engineering scientist for the Boeing
Co., which predicted good potential for additive metal technologies but
stressed the importance of seeking mainstream acceptance as opposed to relying
on niche markets.
- “Direct
Manufacturing at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.,” presented by Craig A. Brice,
materials engineer, which detailed projects in direct manufacturing that began
at Lockheed Martin in 1998. This presentation noted the difficulty in applying
additive manufacturing to larger components due to the need for
cost-prohibitive, full-scale test models.
and
- “Current
State and Needs of Additive Manufacturing,” presented by Eric Fodran, Ph.D.,
materials and process engineer, Northrup Grumman, which challenged a
conventional manufacturing route with rapid prototype, digital direct
manufacturing (DDM), and additive manufacturing technologies that offer
significant cost reductions, a tool-less process, and low buy-to-fly ratios,
among other attributes.
After lunch and a brief supplier panel concerning equipment
OEMs and contract manufacturers, Dr. Brent Stucker, an associate professor at Utah State
University, presented “ASTM
International F42 Committee on Additive Manufacturing Technologies.” Stucker’s
presentation discussed ASTM International’s efforts to establish international
standards for additive manufacturing and, in some cases, define terms. First on
that list,
additive manufacturing, defined by ASTM as:
(The) process of joining materials to make objects
from 3-D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive
manufacturing methodologies. Synonyms: additive fabrication; additive processes;
additive techniques; additive layer manufacturing; layer manufacturing; and
freeform fabrication.1
GE Aviation Senior Engineer Chris English’s presentation, “An
Overview of Additive Manufacturing at GE Aviation: The Need for Industry Collaboration
in Overcoming Barriers,” explored the reasons for developing additive manufacturing
technologies (reduced buy-to-fly ratios, rapid prototype capabilities, “greener”
manufacturing) before examining the enablers and barriers to additive
manufacturing implementation. The good news? According to English (citing the
limited property data available), additive manufacturing offers good mechanical
properties, lower material and machining costs, design flexibility (with design
changes made electronically), and shorter lead times.
Finally, Chris Conrardy, EWI’s chief technology officer,
offered an overview of the Additive Manufacturing Consortium in “Mission of the AMC.”
Among the objectives of the AMC, Conrardy mentioned the desire to establish a
center of excellence in the U.S.
to advance additive manufacturing readiness. In terms of scope, the AMC’s
technical activities, business support services and applications would be
driven by consortium member priorities, and the organization’s role would be
that of the hub in a wheel-like system of end users, material suppliers,
government agencies, standards bodies, R&D organizations, and equipment
suppliers.
For more information on the Additive Manufacturing Consortium,
visit
www.ewi.org.
Links
