A few years ago I saw a presentation at a TCT event by Mike Ayre, MD of Crucible Industrial Design, who argued convincingly that the future of additive technologies — specifically for industrial applications — lies in combining 3D printing processes with traditional manufacturing techniques such as high speed milling. Mike and I discussed the implications of this after his presentation and I have kept this nugget of insight tucked away since. It resurfaced again at the end of last year when I reported on a new machine announcement that was getting a great deal of attention at Euromold — the LUMEX Avance-25. This machine, from Japanese vendor Matsuura, is billed as a single machine platform that offers metal laser sintering and high-speed milling — a “revolutionary, unique and dynamic production platform.”
I don’t dispute that billing, although I predict it will not remain unique as I think this machine points to the future.
The LUMEX Avance-25 is the culmination of a decade of research and development (R&D) by Matsuura Japan, and brings together the advantages of metal 3D printing and high speed milling, which traditionally have required a trade-off. Having both — in one machine — is a significant development and a leap forward, in my opinion. The obvious target market for this machine is large OEMs, with deep pockets, requiring highly engineered parts with tight tolerances and superior surface finish, either for the production of mold dies or final production parts in low volumes. Despite all of the hype and excitement around consumer 3D printing applications at the entry-level end of the market, OEMs are still the main drivers of R&D with high-end 3D printing processes. Metal laser sintering is one of those processes, and combined with milling capabilities — the outcomes are truly remarkable — as illustrated by the accompanying imagery.
However, the articles and posts that I have been writing recently about retail 3D printing services have got me thinking, and it occurred to me that this type of hybrid machine would truly bring a valuable service and huge range of options to the consumer, if offered and operated by a service provider with knowledge and know-how.
In the interests of anti-hype, I am stating clearly that this is not happening now, it is an idea that has come to me in recent days as an interesting and exciting opportunity for the future. I have not looked into the economics or the practicalities of it, but still, it is something to think about.
Using hybrid approaches to metal sintering makes a lot of sense given that the parts need machining anyway, and the value of those parts tends to be on the high scale. For lower end machines though a pure hybrid of a standard 3D printing technique and machining is probably overkill and due to the physical issues surrounding machining (noise, debris etc) these machines are unlikely to ever become office friendly.
However if you think outside the box a little and look at the applications where machining and AM can go together you could combine the two approaches. One of the ongoing issues with 3D printing is producing large parts with smooth surfaces, Doing complex fine internal lattice structures is what 3D printing is good at, but on the visible externals you often see stepping or excessivelt slow builds.
Imagine a machine that can print the fine internal structure then lay down a fast curing paste in thick layers around this that can be machined to the net surface. Again this will not be a desktop device, but as a prototyping or AM machine for plastic mutimaterials it has benefits.
Ironically it is FDM that would be best suited to this as the print head could be interchanged with a cutting head. In fact there have been projects over the years where people have taken a standard CNC and added an extruder head to replace the cutter.
The key to this is finding the approriate materials to provide the complex 3D printed structure and the smooth machinable externals (or fixing details like threads, holes etc).
Hi Kevin, very well noted.
I definitely “love” you…ok, don’t worry…I’m straight. 🙂
If you have a look at my failed IndieGogo campaign http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-first-all-in-one-3d-printing-technology/ you will find the confirmation to your words.
The technology I developed and filed for patents, is something really simple and almost obvious but no-one applied before to the 3D Printing/RP world.
The Automatic Technology Switching system is just that. A sort of ATC applied to the 3D Printing.
Which is aimed to do exactly what you just mentioned.
In fact, I developed and designed the concept while I was designing a 3D Printer for the specific purposes of the Architecture and Engineering Universities in Bamako (Mali), as the first step of our Laboratoire pour l’Afrique project. An Educational and Development project (don’t like charity and humanitarian statements) for one of the poorest Countries in the World.
We wanted to donate two machines, large enough to be suitable for mostly architectural and civil-engineering projects, and able to deal with different materials and technology, eventually mixing them together.
It must be a “creative” tool, able to think out of the box (Malians are very creative people).
We don’t want to “import” western models to Africa, we just need to teach them about technology and give them the tools, they will develop their own applications by themselves, for their own Country and in full respect of their traditions, culture and needs.
And, since I personally come from more than 35 years of professional experience in design (toys, furniture, IT and Industrial Design, Automoitive, Aerospace and Yacht design and Consumer Product Design as well, having run for a few years my own prototyping lab equipped with CNC machines, some commercial ones, some others (pretty big) I designed and built, and designing molds for the automotive industry (tail lamps for the main European Car Makers) for five years, then moving to another location, joining a friend in the marine and aerospace composites, running together a hi-tech composite workshop,
I’m very well aware about the needs for a smarter, quicker and more sustainable way of building prototypes and molds for the composite industry.
Using a “rough” but highly efficient FDM-like process to build the internal structure and first skin, then applying (actually extruding) a layer of machinable paste, then – without moving the part – switching to a multi-axis milling head for refining the surface, that’s is exactly what I had in my mind.
However, this would be somehow limiting, since the same concept could be easily applied to the ceramic industry, to the food industry, to the jewelery industry (something we’re actually developing now), and many more.
The advantages of a switchable “head” are immense.
However, some of the answers I received, showed how “small” is the field of view of most of the 3D Printing users.
They hardly understood the benefits of this innovation.
I didn’t get ANY support form the several blogs I contacted.
There’re so many rumors and SCOOPs about the most silly and – very often – almost useless or ridiculous “news” in this trendy market, but actual innovations do not get any attention.
Some other comments I received argued about the actual need for such Hi-tech technology, accuracy and sophistication … not actually needed for the 3D Printing needs.
Whow ….again that absurd theory that zero-backlash, small tolerances and high-end guides and screws are not actually needed for the current resolution… what a great bullshit.
By the way, we didn’t stop. We understood several things from the failed campaign and we developed three new devices derived by the same concepts, looking for more compact, lighter and easier applications. Closer to the majority of the existing machines and users.
Still offering the same freedom and flexibility, just limiting some more powerful and heavy duty applications. We do not discard them, at all. However, we’ll soon present something very small, lightweight, very “friendly”, not intimidating.
I’m personally struggling in order to get everything ready to fly to China ASAP for completing the prototyping of the new design. And – hopefully – we’ll be able to publish the results in few weeks, before the mid of June if nothing bad happens.
I apologize for writing so much, but you really offered me an argument I really care about.
The market is there, maybe too many rumors and false scoops around, but it’s there. What’s missing now is the “culture” about it.
This digital magazine/newsletter is really doing a good job, informing.
I greatly appreciated your post.
thanks for that.
Paolo Velcich
Designer
http://www.3d-zero.com
http://www.labforafrica.com