Public Funding for Delcam Limited

Horizon (AM) is an initiative by a consortium of leading UK companies proposing to take 3D printing or Additive Manufacturing (AM) from a set of useful prototyping tools to a viable direct production method for advanced aerospace components. The group will be developing various novel manufacturing approaches to enable the production of highly complex lightweight aircraft parts using advanced production systems that print parts layer by layer from metal powders and plastic filaments. The work will first impact on the current high costs and waste involved in conventional aircraft manufacturing by printing near net shape parts directly in order to reduce the amount of labour-intensive and wasteful machining normally used to produce parts. Having established viable methods to produce flying components manufactured in this way the aim is to exploit the high geometric complexity and multi-material capability of these manufacturing methods in order to realise advanced aircraft components for the next generation of aircraft, thereby establishing the UK at the forefront of aerospace design and manufacturing.

The objective of this 2.5 yr long project is to demonstrate the clear competitive advantages of the use of Additive Layer Manufacturing (sometimes known as 3D Printing) in the manufacture of production metal and polyamide components. The project will demonstrate that ALM is now a reliable and potent production technology which can be included in the gamut of standard manufacturing techniques. This will be done by addressing three key issues, those of ALM component error correction, the automatic finishing of ALM components to acceptable standards, and the generation of ALM Production Part Acceptance Procedures for the industries involved, as well as process control plans and design guides for parts. The project will be led by CRDM Ltd, with McLaren Automotive, Delcam, Selex, Ultra Electronics and Flitetec as its partners. This strong consortium will ensure that the validated ALM techniques will be robust, exploitable and disseminated widely.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

Directed Energy Deposition Additive Manufacturing (AM), known as cladding, where a metal powder or wire feed is melted using electron/laser beam or electric arc, has significant advantages over powder bed fusion AM. Cladding offers very high deposition rates, material flexibility, and can be used in a hybrid approach, enabling complex features or different material to be deposited onto an existing component produced conventionally. In the ACCLAIM project Plasma Transfer Arc (PTA) cladding will be employed, offering excellent weld quality, low capital/running costs, very high deposition rates, material flexibility and minimal substrate interaction. Novel techniques will be developed to reduce thermal stress and provide a robust inert gas environment to ensure material quality. Moreover, a machining process will be integrated to enable fully finished components to be produced. This route is not only applicable for new part production but could also offer a very effective repair technique.

The RAWFEED project is a collaboration between EADS Innovation Works, Airbus, Delcam, Cranfield University and the University of Bath. The consortium are developing and validating the performance of the required sub-system hardware and software to enable a wire feed additive manufacturing (AM) process utilising wire arc welding deposition combined with in-process rolling. This will enable the production of titanium parts with acceptable performance for aerospace applications, while ensuring minimal distortion and high material utilisation efficiency. The combination of wire based deposition and mechanical rolling to refine microstructure and minimise distortion is a novel approach which is capable of enabling material properties that meet or exceed those of aerospace forgings. The resulting process has the potential to reduce material waste in the production of large titanium parts by 70% while retaining the required level of quality and performance for use in safety critical applications.

This project will inspire new design freedoms for Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM), in particular Selective Laser Melting (SLM), to create advanced lightweight structures and products. A major constraint of MAM is the requirement of support structures for building overhanging geometries. This will be overcome by an innovative CAD/CAM solution which utilises smart “self-support” low-density lattice structures (down to 5% volume fraction) to efficiently support internal and external overhanging geometries of lightweight products. Furthermore, an end-to-end manufacturing simulation and rehearsal tool will be developed to predict the manufacturability and performance of lightweight products and stimulate design freedom and optimisation which can reduce material and production costs for MAM. The aim of this project is to enable the UK automotive, aerospace and engineering sectors to more effectively exploit MAM technologies.

This project is aimed at rapidly bringing to full commercial maturity the proces of 3D-Printing (or Additive Manufacturing) of precious metal jewellery items that is currently at varying stages of partial readiness at a small number of UK companies. To achieve this the members of our consortium will work together to mutually solve a number of outstanding problems by use of some clever, problem solving, end-to-end system integrations. Ranging from optimising the design creation and development process, through the various known manufacturing issues to produce items of well designed, high quality and highly polished, commercially saleable jewellery. To achieve this the consortium partners will also create operational and viable supply, distribution and value chains that reflect effectively the development of the new business model this project requires.

ALSAM utilises the unique geometric freedoms afforded by the disruptive manufacturing technology known as Additive Manufacturing to enable the production of lighweight structurally optimised, lattice components for structural and powertrain components in the automotive sector. Using Selective Laser Melting to produce lattice components from Aluminium alloys will yield components that are significantly lighter in weight (>40% weight saving) than traditional components. The design of these components will be performed through bespoke software that enables lattice designs to be implemented and analysed for structural robustness. Throughout, benefits to the environment will be identified and quantified utilising full lifecycle analysis techniques that will provide a full assessment of latticed components and compare with current best in class products

The project aims to develop lightweight and sustainable products via material design optimization and additive manufacturing (AM) which will significantly save materials and energy consumption in the production of high value products. As an innovative and promising material process technology, AM allows the rapid development of sustainable products through new lightweight material structure technology that utilises functional metal and plastic materials more effectively. It has the potential to produce high value aerospace, medical and engineering parts with minimum material waste and energy input. For certain complex parts, AM process can save up to 90% of the material compared to subtractive machining processes. The objective of this project is to develop material design and process optimization technologies to maximise the material and energy efficiency in the AM process, thus aiding the development and production of sustainable products. The project is expected to deliver three innovative material and energy saving solutions: 1) A material design optimization technology to devise and optimize lightweight structures for low-mass sustainable parts; 2) A process optimization technology to identify the most energy efficiency AM process parameters (e.g. part orientation and layer thickness) for high quality parts; 3) An integrated design and process optimization technology to fabricate sacrificial support structures with the minimum material and energy input.

The main aim of the project, is to develop an integrated production system incorporating all of the processes required for cost effective, rapid and reliable remanufacturing. Currently, most remanufacturing involves a series of operations on different pieces of equipment, which might even be in different companies. Furthermore, each process is labour intensive and dependent upon the skill of the operator. This makes the overall process inefficient, expensive and difficult to manage. The new RECLAIM system, which is developed during the project, combines laser cladding, machining and in-process scanning in a single machining cell. While the main focus will be on the repair of damaged parts, it is planned that the new equipment could also be used to manufacture new metal parts, to upgrade obsolete parts and to reconfigure standard parts for specialist, low-volume applications.

Awaiting Public Summary