A production-minded AM cell with powder-bed metal systems, heat treatment and the inspection stack required to argue with a quality engineer.
Suitable for first-article work packages and parameter development that should not happen on a customer's critical path.
The cell exists because parameter development is expensive, statistically demanding and quite unsuitable for a live production environment. Establishing that a parameter set produces acceptable density, microstructure and mechanical properties requires builds, sectioning, testing and repetition — and doing that on the machine that is meant to be making parts is how programmes lose a quarter.
The post-processing capability is the part users appreciate most in retrospect. Support removal, stress relief, hot isostatic pressing, machining of critical surfaces and inspection commonly cost more than the build, and a facility that treats them as part of the process rather than an afterthought produces parts that survive an audit.
Specification
- Powder-bed metal AM
- Heat treatment and HIP access
- CT and dimensional inspection
- Multiple laser powder-bed platforms
- Powder handling, sieving and characterisation
- Mechanical test specimen extraction and testing
What it is the right answer to
Jobs this facility genuinely suits.
- Parameter development for a new alloy or machine combination
- First-article production with a full inspection and test record
- Build orientation and support strategy trials for a difficult geometry
- Powder reuse studies establishing how many cycles a lot will tolerate
- Comparative assessment of AM against a conventional manufacturing route
What to bring
Turning up without these costs facility hours rather than bench hours.
- Geometry, material specification and the properties that must be demonstrated
- The inspection and acceptance criteria your customer will apply
- Powder provenance, if you intend to use your own
- Realistic expectations about post-processing cost and lead time
What you leave with
- Built parts with a full process record and build log
- Density, microstructure and mechanical property data
- CT and dimensional inspection reports
- A qualified parameter set, or clear evidence of why one was not achieved
Limitations
Worth knowing before you write the proposal.
- Build volume constrains part size, and stitching is not a free option
- Post-processing typically dominates cost and schedule, not the build
- Statistically defensible property data needs multiple builds, not one good one