Two different stages of an Airbus rear upper spar that was 3-D printed in titanium with Sciaky's EBAM process. The image on the left shows the part in an early preform stage. The image on the right shows the finished part.
Sciaky EBAM 110 System
Sciaky, Inc., a subsidiary of Phillips Service Industries, Inc. (PSI) and provider of metal additive manufacturing (AM) solutions, has announced that Airbus will take delivery of a state-of-the-art electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM) 110 System. The aircraft manufacturer will utilize Sciaky's industrial-scale metal 3-D printing system to produce large structural parts made of titanium.
Sciaky's EBAM process combines computer-aided design (CAD), AM processing principles and an electron beam heat source. Starting with a 3-D model from a CAD program, Sciaky's fully articulated moving electron beam gun deposits metal via wire feedstock, layer by layer, until the part reaches near-net shape. From there, the near-net shape part requires heat treatment and post-production machining. In the end, there is minimal material waste.
Sciaky brings quality and control together in one step with IRISS - the Interlayer Real-time Imaging and Sensing System. "IRISS is the only real-time monitoring and control system in the metal 3-D printing market that can sense and digitally self-adjust metal deposition with precision and repeatability," said a company spokesperson. "This closed-loop control is the primary reason that Sciaky's EBAM 3-D printing process delivers consistent part geometry, mechanical properties, microstructure and metal chemistry, from the first part to the last."
EBAM utilizes wire feedstock, which can accommodate a wide variety of metals and refractory alloys such as titanium, tantalum, niobium, tungsten, Inconel and stainless steels. Sciaky's EBAM 110 System has a work envelope of 70" (1,778 mm) x 47" (1,194 mm) x 63" (1,600 mm).
"Sciaky is very proud to partner with a world-class innovator like Airbus," said Bob Phillips, Vice President of Marketing for Sciaky, Inc. "We all know that metal 3-D printing technology is going to revolutionize manufacturing in the aerospace industry, and Sciaky is committed to being at the forefront of this movement."
Sciaky's lineup of EBAM systems can produce parts ranging from 8" (203 mm) to 19' (5.79 meters) in length. Gross deposition rates range from 7 to 20 lbs. (3.18 to 9.07 kg) of metal per hour.
For more information contact:
Sciaky, Inc.
4915 W. 67th St.
Chicago, IL 60638-6493
877-450-2518 / 708-594-3800
www.sciaky.com
Airbus
www.airbus.com