Coordinated equipment for additive manufacturing from Fronius consists of the following components: iWave AC/DC 300i-500i, OPT/i Multiprocess PRO, CMT Welding Package and the matching robot interface.
This additively manufactured propeller (G3Si1 steel) would have had to be milled from a block measuring 60 cm x 90 cm x 90 cm and weighing around 4 tons, while the finished component only weighs just under 100 kg.
The Fronius development team has added valuable features to CMT for optimal 3D printing results and combined everything in one characteristic. CMT Additive Pro offers a particularly even layer structure.
Additive manufacturing has enormous potential, especially where the degree of individualization is high. It is possible to produce geometries that would be unviable using conventional methods, the company reported.
With 900 sq. m of floor space, the Fronius prototyping center provides ample room for innovation and technology. And with a comprehensive service package from the feasibility study to the pilot series, the Fronius team of experts is on hand to support customers with tailor-made solutions.
High-quality, tailor-made components with Fronius Additive. Here is an example of a screw conveyor produced with CMT Additive Pro (316L stainless steel, CMT Cycle Step)
Using additive manufacturing (AM), components, spare parts and even prototypes can be manufactured in a way that is flexible, resource-efficient and profitable, Fronius reported.
"The required components can be produced quickly and from virtually nothing, regardless of the location," said a company spokesperson. "With CMT Additive Pro, Fronius presents a revolutionary, 3D-optimized welding process with impressive features, such as an especially even layer structure, as well as high quality and stability. On request, Fronius can use its welding expertise to provide tailored support. At the company's prototyping center, component geometries that may have once seemed impossible are made into a reality, layer by layer."
The spokesperson continued: "Metal 3D printing is on the rise in many industries, including automotive, oil and gas, aerospace engineering, ship and train building and the manufacture of construction equipment and tools. Compared to conventional production processes, such as casting, machining or milling, here the requirements in terms of molds and materials are low. This process saves a lot of time and material and provides enormous flexibility when designing and adapting different components."
AM has enormous potential, especially where the degree of individualization is high. Today, unique metal components can be printed in highly complicated geometries that have previously been difficult or even impossible to achieve. One example of this is rapid prototyping, which allows manufacturers to quickly adapt and refine their product designs before moving to mass production. Topology optimizations that could not be achieved using conventional methods are now possible.
Metal 3D printing also simplifies repairs and on-demand printing of spare parts. It allows components to be manufactured just in time, eliminating the need for storage and the costs associated with it.
"The right welding path with the right welding parameters and processes is crucial for a good result in metal 3D printing," explained Philipp Roithinger, an expert in AM at Fronius International GmbH. "However, this requires a high-performance welding system that precisely ensures the accuracy of the welding torch. The new iWave Multiprocess Pro combined with the Fronius CMT Additive Pro characteristic is optimized for metal 3D printing. This perfectly adapted equipment is now available. This complete solution is compatible with common robot systems for additive manufacturing and opens up a whole host of possibilities."
With Cold Metal Transfer (CMT), Fronius has been offering a stable, easily controllable and comparatively cool welding process for decades. Fronius has now optimized CMT specifically for metal 3D printing and put its expertise into the development of Fronius CMT Additive Pro. The integrated arc-on rate stabilizer helps ensure a consistent wire speed, resulting in an even and predictable build-up of layers. This improves the overall stability of the manufacturing process, the company reported.
"Another innovation is the adjustable heat input, which ensures consistency in the height and width ratio of the bead, regardless of the current temperature of the base material or the previously welded layer. Weld layers usually become wider and flatter as the component heats up," explained Roithinger. "The power correction feature counteracts this, so that identical welds can be stacked on top of each other, layer after layer."
The start of the weld within the construction process is another important criterion for metal 3D printing. Welding errors or cambers in the area where the weld was started can affect the quality of the result.
"Fronius has the perfect solution to this with the Pulsed Hot Start function, which simultaneously achieves sufficient penetration and a constant layer height by starting welding within the pulsed arc," said the spokesperson. "Here, the whole process is controlled automatically, so no extra settings are necessary. The Fronius development team has added valuable features to CMT for optimal 3D printing results, and combined everything in one characteristic. And the team of experts at the Fronius prototyping center are on hand to come up with even more solutions for demanding welding challenges."
In its prototyping center, Fronius provides a comprehensive service package. Here, tailor-made solutions are developed for individual requirements and customers' AM processes are optimized, or highly complex components are realized. From the initial consultation and feasibility check to the development and manufacturing of parts, everything is carried out in close coordination with the client, and with the highest degree of discretion. The aim is to minimize the time-to-market and fully utilize the potential of innovation and technology in the projects.
The experts support the production of the initial prototypes and pre-series and enable a smooth entry into the AM process. In addition, customers receive valid recommendations on the welding process, profitability, quality and implementation options, or the costs for the prototype and the start of production. The 900 sq. m prototyping center Austria has several isolated robot cells and systems, and offers full service, including offline programming and simulations, metallurgical investigations, 3D component measurement, complete data documentation and more.
For more information contact:
Fronius USA LLC
6797 Fronius Drive
Portage, IN 46368
219-734-5500
sales.usa@fronius.com
www.fronius.us