HRE Wheels, GE Additive build 3D-printed titanium wheel via electron beam melting

November 16, 2018
Source:

HRE Wheels, Vista Calif., and GE Additive, Cincinnati, Ohio, announced a partnership agreement and showed the first titanium wheel built via electron-beam melting of titanium powder. Known as “HRE3D+”, this new prototype wheel shows how advanced materials such as titanium can be harnessed to create complex designs.

The goal of the “HRE3D+” project was to test the capabilities of additive manufacturing in a practical application and to create a highly-sophisticated wheel design. With a traditional aluminum Monoblok wheel, 80% of material is removed from a 100-pound forged block of aluminum to create the final product. With additive manufacturing, only 5% of the titanium is removed and recycled, making the process far more efficient. Titanium also has a much higher specific strength than aluminum and is corrosion resistant, allowing it to be extremely lightweight and to be shown in its raw finish.

The wheel was produced on two Arcam EBM machines - Q20 and a Q10 in five separate sections, then combined using a custom center section and titanium fasteners.

"This is an incredibly exciting and important project for us as we get a glimpse into what the future of wheel design holds,” said HRE President Alan Peltier. “Working with GE Additive’s AddWorks team gave us access to the latest additive technology and an amazing team of engineers, allowing us to push the boundaries of wheel design beyond anything possible with current methods. To HRE, this partnership with GE Additive moves us into the future.”

“HRE prides itself on its commitment to excellence and superior quality in the marketplace. It was a natural fit for AddWorks to work on this project with them and really revolutionize the way wheels can be designed and manufactured,” said Robert Hanet, senior design engineer, GE Additive AddWorks.

www.hrewheels.com  

www.ge.com/additive

Carpenter acquires U.K. powder manufacturer for its additive manufacturing capability

November 1, 2018
Source:

Carpenter Technology Corp., Philadelphia, has acquired LPW Technology Ltd. for its advanced metal powders and lifecycle management solutions for metal additive manufacturing.  

According to Tony R. Thene, Carpenter’s President and Chief Executive Officer, “Our aggressive development in key aspects of additive manufacturing demonstrates our commitment to build on our industry-leading position in this space. The acquisition combines LPW’s metal powder lifecycle management technology and processes, with our technical expertise in producing highly engineered metal powders and additively manufactured components.”

Carpenter says that lifecycle management technology is becoming increasingly important to understanding how materials behave before, during, and after production in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing. Understanding powder behavior will continue to be critical as AM becomes more widely adopted and implemented across various industries.

“LPW’s innovative platforms and enabling technology further solidify Carpenter’s position as a preferred provider of end-to-end next generation additive manufacturing solutions,” commented Phil Carroll, LPW’s founder.

Carpenter’s AM portfolio also includes recent investments in Puris, a titanium powder producer; CalRAM, a leader in Electron Beam and Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion AM services; and the construction of an Emerging Technology Center in Athens, Alabama.

www.cartech.com

Burloak Technologies to invest $81.5 million in additive manufacturing center in Ontario

May 20, 2018
Source: ASM International