Multinational production conglomerate Honeywell and Germany metal 3D printer are collaborating to pass new additive manufacturing parameters. The parameters would allow printing at raised thickness.
SLM Solutions is expected to provide the materials. Honeywell will be accountable for handling the qualification procedure. Through collaboration, both firms aim to lessen their 3D printing costs and time.
“SLM Solutions’ latest technology will help Honeywell improve productivity while also meeting our material requirements for qualification,” said senior director of technology and advanced operations for Honeywell’s Aerospace business, Dr. Sören Wiener.
“We intend to qualify these parameter sets through repeatability testing in our production environment, including build and post-processing to generate an efficient process with a set of material property data.” He added.
Honeywell was established in 1906. Its key production activities revolve around consumer and commercial products, aerospace systems and engineering services. The headquarter of Honeywell is located in Charlotte, North Carolina. The firm has a worldwide workforce of about 110,000. 44,000 of them are employed in the United States.
The firm operates via four business section: Honeywell Building Technologies, Honeywell Aerospace, Technologies (PMT), and Safety and Productivity Solutions (SPS). Using these units, Honeywell provides several services and products.
The firm has shown a steady implementation of 3D printing throughout the years. In 2018, the firm’s unit, Honeywell Aerospace confirmed to make its parts by use of bed fusion technology. Sintavia is a metal 3D printing firm based in Florida. Honeywell Aerospace has also ventured into 3D printing R&D contracts with 3D Systems and Sigma Labs.
In a fresh collaboration with SLM Solutions, Honeywell Aerospace will start qualifying aluminum build made by the use of raised layer thicknesses of 90 and 6 micron. The builds will be manufactured on the SLM 500.
Also, SLM Solutions will offer its normal aluminum parameter. This will allow Honeywell to finish the material qualification by use of the SLM 500. The aim is to achieve maximum material features.
“As the productivity leaders in powder bed fusion, SLM Solutions has been continuously working to reduce build times by combining high-powered lasers with advanced parameter sets,” remarks CEO of SLM Solutions Group AG, Meddah Hadjar.
“We’re excited to work together with Honeywell Aerospace to further advance the industry through the qualification of even more advanced parameter sets for quad-laser systems used in qualified serial production.” He added.
The SLM 500 was launched in 2013 and it is a quad-laser metal additive manufacturing mechanism. It has a build volume of 500 x 280 x 365 mm and able to print multiple metal geometries. This is owing to its particular laser melting technology.
A British manufacturer and distributor of power systems for aviation and automotive industries, is using the SLM 500. Rolls-Royce uses it to 3D print metal aerospace components. The system is also utilized Bugatti, the French maker of high-performance automobiles. Bugatti uses it to 3D print crucial automotive parts like a titanium brake caliper.
